A Superior Glass for Prosecco Superiore

The last time I was at Riedel UK testing my sparkling Furlan Rosé the photographer arrived and the wine ended up warm.   That meant we (Steve McGraw, MD of Riedel UK and I) had to repeat the test and taste the Rosé again, shame that!

Recently, Steve and I carried out further testing of my Prosecco and a number of different Riedel glasses, in particular the new Prosecco glass.  You may not know that the shape and the design of the glass can enhance a wine’s bubbles (for sparkling), aroma and taste. This time there were a few new glasses to test:  the ‘Veritas Champagne’; the ‘Veritas New World Pinot Noir’ and of course the ‘Prosecco Superiore’ glass.  The Riedel glass line-up consisted of:-

1. Ouverture Restaurant Champagne glass (a traditional Champagne flute style)
2. Ouverture Champagne glass (which came out top last time in our testing)
3. Extreme Restaurant Prosecco Superiore glass
4. Veritas Champagne glass
5. Veritas New World Pinot Noir glass

Firstly, testing my sparkling Furlan Spumante Rosé Brut 2014 (which is a blend of 70% Glera from the Prosecco DOCG region, 27% Manzoni Bianco and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon) showed good bubbles and mousse (the foamy bit on the top in case you’re wondering) in all the glasses initially.  The mousse and bubbles however soon dissipated in the Pinot Noir glass, due to the large surface area and the glass having no nucleation point unlike all the other glasses.  (Nucleation points are intentional tiny etchings at the base of the glass which helps bubbles to form).

Next the aroma and taste test.

1. Ouverture Restaurant Champagne glass – a yeasty aroma was detected, similar to that of Champagne. Bubbly on the tongue.
2. Ouverture Champagne glass – red fruits, particularly strawberries. Soft and bubbly on the tongue.
3. Extreme Restaurant Prosecco Superiore glass – red fruits, noticeably fruitier than the Ouverture Champagne glass. A softer feel too with lively bubbles on the tongue.
4. Veritas Champagne glass – fruit and some yeasty aromas. Soft on the tongue.
5. Veritas New World Pinot Noir glass – very little aroma due to the size of the glass being too big. Tasted quite acidic, more alcoholic and less bubbles on the tongue.

Overall, we jointly agreed that the Prosecco Superiore glass came out top for bubbles, aroma and taste, with the Ouverture Champagne glass b) second.

Next up was my Furlan Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Millesimato 2014 Extra Dry.   This time we were joined by Ann King, Business Editor of the Staffordshire Sentinel.  The same glasses were used as in the Rosé test.

The Prosecco showed good bubbles and mousse in all glasses, which quickly disappeared in the Pinot Noir glass as seen with the Rosé.

The aroma and taste test:

1. Ouverture Restaurant Champagne glass – a good fruity aroma, fresh and bubbly on the tongue.
2. Ouverture Champagne glass – a good aroma showing more detail compared to the Champagne flute on the fruits; melon, apple and pear. Soft bubbles on the tongue.
3. Extreme Restaurant Prosecco Superiore glass – a great aroma, similar to the above producing; melon, apple and pear, even more distinctive compared to the Ouverture glass b). Small, velvety and foamy soft bubbles on the tongue.
4. Veritas Champagne glass – Fruity, particularly aromas of pears and a little yeasty. Soft bubbles on the tongue.
5. Veritas New World Pinot Noir glass – the aroma gets lost, a little dusty and old smelling. The taste was high in acidity with a harsh finish.

Overall, the Prosecco Superiore glass performed the best which is not surprising considering it has been specially designed to enhance Prosecco Superiore.  Joint second was the Ouverture Champagne glass and the Veritas Champagne glass.  Different results, but both very good.  Third was the Ouverture Restaurant Champagne glass which was too narrow to allow the aromas to develop and last the Pinot Noir glass which was just too large to cope with the delicate grape structures.

The diamond shape of the Prosecco Superiore glass with its wide bowl and tapered opening, helps to develop the aroma and taste, whilst keeping the fizz.  The stylish stemed glass also feels very elegant and well balanced, as do all the Riedel glasses.   The glasses are made with high quality glass, which greatly reduces the imperfections.  Imperfections can produce too many random bubbles which can then result in the wine losing its fizz too quickly.  Once again I was amazed at how the different shapes and designs of glasses can affect the characteristics of a wine.

So thank you to Riedel for developing a very beautiful and elegant glass, just perfect for the equally beautiful and elegant Prosecco Superiore.

The Prosecco Superiore glasses are currently not available to the general public, only through the trade.  Hopefully this will change in the future.

Shared by Julia Phillips

Just Perfect Wines