Mike, which specific glass is that…and where’d you get it? Thx in advance
**(my apologies for my confusion, but your picuture looks like an earlier picture from this thead of what I thought was a Zalto, but I’m gathering that the Zalto’s are pricey)
Mike, are you also.getting one Zalto? Id be interested to see how that compares with the Spiegelau Hybrid, especially on a burg. I didnt feel as much difference between the Zalto and other glasses when I tried it with an 09 Kutch Falstaff, but not sure whether that’s a function of the wine being CA PN, or a function of age.
Alan, I plan on getting one.
These are for any company that still wants to visit the ex-cab king.
Probably go unused…
It’s all psychology, like golf clubs: if they feel good, and you like how they look, you’ll probably feel better about using them. There is probably something to how aromas are perceived from different glasses, but IMO there can be no difference in how a wine tastes based on the shape of the glass. Almost anyone who tries to tell you differently has not done a true, controlled, double blind study - because it’s essentially impossible to do. Buy what feels and looks good to you
Thanks…I grabbed 4 myself.
I have sat through a few wine glass seminars and what have learned contrary to marketing … All you need is one glass that fits your personal olfactory site … If your noise can smell due to the proper spacing just like stereo speakers, then you have found your glass…
Cheers !!!
My understanding is that taste is directed related to smell.
Yeah, I accept that. But I think it’s what you smell WHILE you are tasting, not BEFORE you taste. Plus, how often do we actually spend time smelling the wine before we take each sip? Maybe before the first sip or two, but I can say that after that I’m picking up the glass and taking a swig, I’m not going through a lot of fancy tasting ritual to first smell it, think about that, then drink.
Again, this is what I personally believe, others are welcome to believe differently, of course, and to use glasses they think improve the experience for them.
After hearing so much about Zalto, I bought a Zalto clone , the Lenox Umbria Burgundy solo glass from homegoods. I’ll try it today against my standard glass of Schott Zwiesell Tritan Burgundy Claret (the larger size versus the normal Forte).
I’m going to try this “blind”: having my wife swirl and handle the glasses, while I’m blindfolded so I’m not influenced by aesthetics.
My initial guess is that Zalto-shaped glasses do have some difference because the wide flat bottom allows small pours to have large air contact, while the classic shaped burgundy glasses require a larger pour to hit the maximum air contact point.
I’ll report back during the Superbowl…
Okay quick results are in: The nose on the Lenox Zalto clone is indeed more open and bigger versus my standard SZ Burgundy Claret glasses.
I made sure to pour enough into each glass so that the maximum surface area was exposed. Zalto (and clones) definitely have a wide base which allows more exposed wine versus Riedel and SZ burg glasses.
Would I be willing to pay $30-60 a stem for that difference. I wouldn’t. The $6-7 Lenox umbria stem however is fine. A quick measurements of the dimensions show it is pretty close to Zalto
Smell is taste and a big part … 75% of smell is taste … If you only smell wine you will still have tasted it …
Cheers!!!
As a follow up, I did a quick blind test on my wife who has a super acute sense of smell (but not much of a wine drinker)
She preferred the SZ burg glass over the Zalto-clone because the Zalto had “too much” aromas…and she got a much stronger feeling of alcohol aroma/burn and astringency, while the SZ was just right for her.
My understanding is that taste is directed related to smell.[/quote]
Smell is taste and a big part … 75% of smell is taste … If you only smell wine you will still have tasted it …
Cheers!!![/quote]
I frequently see patients in office with the complaint of loss of taste, when in fact the real issue is they’ve lost their olfactory sense for whatever reason (common cold, overuse of a medicated nasal spray, cocaine abuse, etc). A true isolated loss of taste is not as common, highlighting the supreme importance of smell over taste.
Really? Spend $40 a stem for a glass that improves every glass of burgundy that you have, going forward and you wouldn’t do it? I sure am glad I did.
The difference isn’t big enough for me to care to spend the dough. shrug
Now $6 or so for the Lenox Umbrias. Sure. I’ll buy more.
Cary - have you purchased a Zalto? I would highly recommend you try their universal glass as you might be surprised.
Bought all three of the Zalto’s and love the feel and the glasses. Like the burgundy glasses for pinot and just enjoy the total experience
Just arrived. they look pretty good. Nice balance . I cant wait to try. no wine today, just shoveling…
The current release of Auteur wines prompted another experiment, with their 2009 Sonoma Stage last night. After a splash decant, I poured the wine back into the bottle through an aerating funnel.
Reference glass (American Stemware “Princeton” 30+ years old): Almost Burgundy, 88.
Riedel Vinum Extremum: quite nice, 91.
Riedel Vinum Burgundy: richer, 91+.
Vinum Montrachet (because it closely resembles what’s used in Burgundy): lighter, 90.
Riedel Oregon PN (restaurant series): tannic, dry, “bleh!”, 86.
Reidel Sommelier, most refined, 92
An hour later I wrote, “At the drunken end, Sommelier wow! 94! [Well, at least 92+]”
By way of comparision, here are more descriptive notes from another bottle of the same wine drunk February 1st, again after a splash decant and funneling back.
Reference glass: Classic Sonoma PN, strongly resembles Kosta-Browne cola, 87.
Extremum: ditto, but smoother, 88+.
Burgundy: somewhat diluted, cola concentrated down the middle, 89.
Oregon: weak, watery on the edges, drains down the middle, 83.
Sommelier: tannic, unexpressive, 85.
Obviously the wine showed better last night, which was a fruit night. (February 1 was a leaf night.) Other than that, the ranking of the glasses was the same, except for the Sommelier.
This was a suprise, since the Sommelier glass rarely flatters New World PNs, pehaps because it highlights the cola taste usually found in them, but which was notably (and happily) absent last night.
Finally, I should add that I did not look at my February 1 notes last night.