It may surprise you to know that the size and shape of a wine glass can enhance the enjoyment of a wine by improving aromas, flavours, and feel of the wine. This article will discuss why wine glass shape matters and how it can affect the tasting experience. Not Just Any Wine Glass Will Do Of course, a great wine can be enjoyed anywhere and anytime, but dedicated enophiles give serious consideration to the glass they use to enjoy their wine. According to Georg Riedel, a wine glass is designed to be a tasting tool to balance the flavours and structural elements of a wine. This is achieved by the varying designs of the following three parameters of a glass: the size, shape and the opening. For example, if you are drinking a full-bodied white wine such as Viognier, choosing a glass with a larger bowl will make the wine taste better than in a smaller glass. Likewise, Champagne, though usually poured into a flute to keep the bubbles in suspension longer, is generally better from a tulip shaped glass. Subtle differences in glass design can also change how we experience a wine’s complete nature. When choosing a wine glass for your next tasting, take into consideration the reasons behind wine glass shapes and the impact that it has on your wine. Wine Glass Shape: The Science Behind It   At its most basic level, a wine glass is a vessel in which to hold wine. However, there is a science behind different wine glass shapes. The role of physics plays heavily in the design of glassware. This is evident in the varying designs of two components; the bowl and the opening. The process of aeration is a well-known part of the wine tasting experience. Once a wine reacts with the air, a wine taster will notice how the nose, body and structural components of a wine evolve depending on the chosen glassware. The bowl of a wine glass is designed with this process in mind. A larger bowl allows for more air exposure which better releases the volatile aromatic compounds in a wine and also softens tannins. However, a smaller bowl keeps white wine cooler for longer and gives the acidity and freshness more focus. Choosing The Perfect Bowl   Most white wines have lighter and fresher flavours and, for this reason, less aeration is required. This is why a smaller bowl is often the perfect choice for a white wine. The smaller bowl and long stem of white wine glasses will prevent too much air from circulating in the wine and prevents our body heat from affecting the temperature of the wine. However, it is important to keep in mind that fuller-bodied white wines such as an oaked chardonnay benefit from more aeration. In this case, a larger bowl is better. Due to their more complex flavours and need for more aeration, a red wine glass is designed with a much larger bowl. If you are tasting a …

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Developing your wine tasting skills requires practice and dedication. Not all wine tasters will have the ability to detect the more intricate elements of a wine overnight. Therefore, in order to refine your palate, you must be willing to invest both time and effort to understand how and why wines are different. This article will discuss techniques and exercises that you can employ when you are a tasting a wine to improve not only your tasting abilities but also your overall wine knowledge. A Taster Is Made, Not Born Honing your wine tasting ability is not only about being able to tell if a wine is from Rioja or the Loire. It is also about being able to detect the subtle differences between a Cabernet from Napa Valley and one from Bordeaux. Or a cool vintage and a warmer one. An expert taster should be able to decipher a wine’s biography and pick out features such as grape variety, region, age and possibly even the specific winery it was produced in by using just their senses and memory. This allows you to make evaluations about a wine’s quality and ageability. In order to assess and evaluate a wine effectively, it is important to familiarize yourself with the various elements that vary from one wine to another. These elements can interact with each other to make wine tasting a difficult exercise, but ultimately, these skills are learned, not ones that anyone is born with. Wine Tasting: Improving Your Skills When tasting a wine, it is useful to have a system, a mental checklist of elements against which you assess each wine.  We are all familiar with the fact that when tasting you should focus on a wine’s appearance, nose and palate. However, in order to really assess a wine, it is important to delve deeper into each of these areas to attain a better understanding of a wine’s complete nature.  Each of these areas tell you something about either a wine’s provenance or quality, which we will go into in later posts. Appearance Before tasting, make sure to take note of observations such as a wine’s clarity, intensity and the colour. The clarity of a wine will be easy to ascertain as it most often will be either clear or hazy. In regards to intensity, the appearance of wine can be either pale, medium or deep. For colour, it is important to note more than just initial observations. For example, a white wine may be described as lemon-green or gold in colour. And a rosé may be noted as having a salmon or orange hue. Make sure to take note of other observations you may have such as a wine’s deposit, legs or pétillance. Nose The nose of wine can tell a taster a lot about the wine’s profile. A wine taster should be able to identify the following when smelling a wine: condition, intensity and aroma characteristics. The condition of a wine will most often be noted as either clean …

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  The world of wine is vast. It is produced in virtually every country, from perhaps up to 10,000 grape varieties, not including hybrids. Yet, only a fraction of the wine produced in the world is carried at the LCBO. Restaurants, though, have long known where to find unique and interesting wines from boutique producers — they buy from their local Ontario wine agent. Wine Agents Offer Wines Not Found At The LCBO Have you ever been in a restaurant or a wine region in another part of the world and tried a wine that you just loved? The chances of finding it at your local LCBO, though, are slim, since they only carry a fraction of the world’s wines. And the ones they do carry are usually from large wineries. A wine agent is passionate about wine. They search the world to find hidden gems that demand to be shared. Their job is to develop relationships with small wineries, assist them in bringing their fine products into Ontario and find customers for them. Restaurants love dealing with wine agents because they can always find something new and interesting, and they love the service of having these wines delivered to their door. More and more private customers are realizing they can buy wine through a wine agent, great wine made by artisans with a story to tell. Imported Wine from The Small Winemakers Collection We’ve covered how a wine agent can get bottles not found at the LCBO. Here are a couple other benefits that you can take advantage of when ordering exclusive wines through the Small Winemakers Collection in Toronto.  1. Personalized approach  We take the time to find out your wine preferences, whether you have a cellar, and how you intend to drink the wine. This allows us to recommend a wine that is just right for you.  You may want wine for a wedding, or as a gift for a colleague. No problem. We can recommend something that will be perfect.  2. Understand the story  Small wineries are often steeped in history, with interesting characters that are expressed in the wines they produce. When you buy through The Small Winemakers Collection you learn that your wine is not a mass produced commodity, but an artisanal product lovely grown and produced to the highest quality. 3. Impress your friends Your guests will be amazed when you offer them a wine that they cannot get at their LCBO, and when you are able to relate the story of the winery and talk about how it is different from other wines, even the most wine-knowledgeable guest will be impressed. 4. Enjoy door-to-door delivery  The Small Winemakers Collection is an Ontario wine delivery service that is able to ship right to the door of your address. Discover which wines of the world you’d like to serve or view our full price list here.

Wine has been enjoyed for centuries. While it is still fermented grape juice, every so often there is a new innovation, a blend, a hot variety, or something else new in the wine world. Recently, buying wine online has become increasingly popular among wine lovers in Ontario. There are many Ontario wine agents who make it their mission to source the world’s best wines from unique and hidden gem wineries. The Small Winemakers Collection has been doing this since 1991, and brings these exclusive wines directly to your door in Ontario. Here are a collection of benefits you can stand to gain from ordering your wine online. 1. It saves the trip According to the Canada Post, 76% of Canadians shopped online last year. The simple truth is driving, fighting for a parking spot, heading to the store just to find out the store doesn’t have what you want in stock is becoming more unacceptable. In recent years, the click of a mouse has saved shoppers from countless quarrels over finding the last parking spot. The best way to get your wine is to save the trip and have it delivered right to your front door. 2. Easier to search Shopping for your favourite wine is much easier when done online. Browsing through multiple offerings from the world’s best wineries can be done in a mere matter of minutes. Looking for a favourite wine or wine region? Searching on the Small Winemakers Collection website can narrow your search in seconds. You can also do your shopping in the comfort of your own home – not much can beat that. 3. Access to more wine For many Ontario wine enthusiasts, their favourite wines are yet to be discovered or may exist in another county. The LCBO only carries a certain number of wines from some of the world’s largest wineries. However, the smaller wineries are not as well represented. By ordering through your Ontario wine agent, you have access to far more wines that you would not be able to find at the LCBO. Treat yourself and your guests to an exclusive bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from Stellenbosch, South Africa, or a 2015 Raimat Albarino from Penedes, Spain. Check out some of these offerings from the Small Winemakers Collection. Raimat Albarino 2019, SpainThis is one of Raimat’s more exciting wines; the varietal is rare in this part of Spain. The wine is pale yellow in color with greenish hues. The are intense citrus aromas, dried flowers and spices with an additional hint of sweet vanilla. Very brief ageing in stainless steel tanks to preserve fruit vibrancy and maximize freshness on the palate. Appleby Lane Pinot Noir 2014, New ZealandThe second most produced wine in New Zealand is Pinot Noir. This bottle featuring Sweet red cherry, plum and dark berry fruit characters intermingling with spicy oak best showcase the country’s ability to produce great reds. This bottle from Appleby Lane features savoury, gamey flavours with hints of leather balanced with elegant tannins add …

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With so many health benefits to red wine, it makes sense to enjoy them throughout the year. When the mercury climbs above 30 degrees, you may be tempted to reach for a light rose or white wine, but a true lover of pinot noir, merlot or fine cabernet sauvignon will stay true to their love and passion of all things red. They know that just because it’s getting warmer outside, it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the wine you love! Patios, trips to the beach, and barbeques can all be enhanced with a nice refreshing glass of red wine. As the cooler winter weather becomes a thing of the past as we welcome and the coming warmer temperatures, we explore the best red wines to enjoy as well as the best way to serve them in the summer. How to Enjoy Red Wine in the Summertime Served Chilled – While not conventional, many dedicated red wine lovers have found that chilling their red wine is a great way to enjoy it. When served warm, a red wine can seem rich and heavy and overly powerful. Chilling your red to “cellar temperature” will make it taste bright and refreshing and enhance the experience. Light-bodied reds are best served at around 10 or 12 degrees and while medium bodied wine are served best at 14 degrees. If you not keen to chill your red wine, here are a couple of suggestions to keep in mind when you’re looking for a good red to enjoy. Choose Lighter Bodied Reds – For real summer enjoyment, try to avoid full-bodied and heavily oaked wines. Light or unoaked reds provide a more light and fruity taste and are easier to palate in the summer heat. Consider Lower Tannin Wine – Tannin is a compound in red wine that preserves it and gives structure. However, reds with higher levels of tannin tend to make your tongue dry out as well as leave your mouth with a dry sensation. In the heat of the summer, a lower tannic wine will be more preferred and refreshing. Lower Alcohol Content – As the temperature rises, so does the way alcohol has an effect in our system. It’s important to keep in mind that it’s best to enjoy your red wine with a lesser alcohol content. Anything below 13% would be ideal. Wines with a lower viscosity and lighter body will typically have an ideal alcohol content. The Best Red Wines to Choose While your looking through your wine cellar or ordering wine online, try to look for these red wine varieties that typically include the characteristics of lighter-bodied reds with alcohol content and lower tannin levels. In looking for the perfect bottle of red for the summer time, you cannot go wrong with a nice bottle of Pinot Noir. It is one of the more popular wide varieties of wine in the world as well as in the warmer weather due to it’s high aromatic levels, lighter body and low tannin content. Since it …

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