What's the best glass shape to taste Champagne?

[Triple H]

I heard someone the other day ask "what type of glass were you using" when referring to a Champagne tasting, and I seemed to recall from somewhere that the primary reason for the tall skinny Champagne Flute was to show off the bubbles. So, bubbles aside, what's the best shape to actually show off the flavaors and aromas?

[Innkeeper]

Da flute.

[Kcwhippet]

Got that right. The old coupe glass (the one shaped like Marie Antoinette's left breast) is totally unsuitable for sparklers. There's too much surface area and the bubbles dissipate too quickly. According to Riedel, there are only two glasses suitable for sparklers, and both are flutes. They're shaped just a bit differently depending on whether the wine is an aged Champagne or not. Anything else just doesn't seem to do the sparkler justice.

[wdonovan]

We've been using a what looks like Reidel's Chardonnay glass (taller than wide) for vintage Champagnes lately and have been very happy with the results. Learned that trick in Epernay last winter. It really helps accentuate the nose and finer points of a vintage Champ. Much more so than a flute. The flute does help to preserve the bubble though and we still use them for NVs and other "late model" sparklers.

[Kcwhippet]

Exactly so. The Riedel glasses in both the Sommelier and Vinum series for vintage or aged sparklers are both much wider than regular flutes for those very reasons.

[Thomas]

Yeah, the flutes keep the bubbles longer, but they don't do enough for the nose, and there are a lot of Champagnes with wonderful aroma.

That glass that is wide yet tall is the one, indeed.

On the subject, I am being forced to attend a wedding this weekend (hate large banquets of any kind). One reason I hate these things is the sparkling wine--usually deplorable and usually served in Marie's breast.

[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 04-19-2006).]

[wdonovan]

"....forced to attend a wedding...."

Yet another argument for the BYOB wedding <LOL>

[Thomas]

Well, this morning I was given special dispensation--I do not have to go. I believe when I started to cry my wife softened...

To me, wedding receptions have become the bane of our culture. If I had a daughter, instead of blowing all that money on all that mediocrity (not to mention the DJ, who really makes me want to stay home) I would give the couple the cash and say, "buy a house."