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The Many Types of Wine Glasses - Are They Really Necessary?

Wine glasses are actually very important when it comes to serving wine, although many people wonder why almost every type of wine needs a different set of stemware! Actually, the taste, bouquet, balance, and finish of the wine you are drinking are affected by the type of wine glass you are using.

Different wine glass shapes and sizes are designed to do one or more of the following (depending on the type of wine you are drinking):

Emphasize fruitiness

Stop sparkling wine and champagne going flat quickly

Emphasize tannin flavors

Magnify the aroma

Direct the wine to specific parts of the tongue

The assorted wine glass shapes and sizes are all about bringing out the various characteristics in wine, rather than disguising any flaws in it. A champagne flute is usually tall and narrow, to stop the champagne from going flat quickly. A blush wine glass tends to be short, square and squat. Sauvignon Blanc and sweet Riesling glasses are similar, quite long, tall, and not too wide at the top.

A dry Riesling glass is much narrower, as is a glass for Chianti or red Zinfandel. Burgundy, Pinot Noir, and Montrachet should be drunk from a glass, which is wide at the base and not too narrow at the rim. The flavors in these wines spread out better in a wider-based glass.

Stemmed glasses mean you can hold your glass without warming up the wine accidentally. Small glasses for white wines means you can keep them cool for longer. Wine glasses should be washed in hot water only, to avoid soap residues building up and affecting the flavor of the wine.

Learn More About Wine>> California Wine Country Mini Articles are spread through out the site get a list of articles at this link.

Photo Description:

A Picture of Creole Boiled Shrimp with Tomato Wine - this dish makes a lite yet surprisingly refreshing appetizer and the spiciness of the dish wakes the mouth up to the courses to follow.

Boiled Shrimp Recipes

Boiled shrimps can be used in many recipes, from sweet and sour Asian dishes to seafood salads to appetizers. If you are watching your weight, boiled shrimp calories are very low. Shrimp is very healthy and a great source of protein.

The following recipe makes good use of boiled shrimps, tomatoes, red wine and chives. You can make the sauce a day ahead if you want to. It often comes out richer and smoother when you do! The list of ingredients might seem long but you will have most of the seasonings in your cupboard already

Creole Boiled Shrimp with Tomato Wine Recipe

Ingredients -

2 lbs shrimp
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 bunches scallions, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon chives
1 can tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons parsley, minced
1 18 oz can tomato sauce
¼ teaspoon chili powder
4 tablespoons red wine
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon mace
4 bay leaves
6 whole allspice
¼ teaspoon basil
2 whole cloves
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons black pepper
½ cup flour
2/3 cup vegetable oil

Preparation:

Pour the vegetable oil into a skillet over a very low heat. Add the flour gradually, and stir continuously, to make a roux. This should take about 20 minutes and is ready when it is the color of peanut butter. When it is done, add the celery, scallions, onion, garlic, green pepper and parley. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, chives, bay leaf, red wine, lemon and the other spices. Bring to the boil.

Add 2 cups of water and boil again. Turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes. Bring back to the boil before resuming the recipe (everything before this point you can make the day before and keep in the refrigerator if you want to - you just need to bring it back to the boil when ready).

Boil some white rice. Boil the shrimp for a few minutes until it turns pink. Remove it from the heat immediately. Arrange boiled rice on each plate, top with the sauce and several shrimps. You can use chives on the plates for garnish.

Serves 4

Wine Suggestion:

What Wine Goes with Boiled Shrimp?

A Chardonnay or Pinot Noir is perfect with this recipe. Both need to be served at 50ºF for maximum flavor.

Using California Wine in Appetizer Recipes

Appetizers are tasty snacks and vary greatly. They can be plain and simple or more complex. Many appetizers feature wine as part of the recipe. Wine is often used in all kinds of cooking, because it livens up the food when used correctly and brings out the flavor of the dish you are serving. Some appetizers are very simple and do not even need to be cooked. Examples include prosciutto wrapped around melon balls or raw vegetables with a tasty dip.

Using Wine in Crab, Shrimp or Lobster Appetizers

The most important rule for cooking with wine is to never use a wine you would not drink! If you do not like the wine, you will not like the finished recipe. Stay away from so-called "cooking wines" too. Wine has three uses in cookery - a marinade, a liquid for cooking, and a flavoring for the finished dish. Wine does not belong in every dish, but sometimes it can add something special to the dish.

A crisp, dry white wine is often used in seafood recipes with wine. Pinot Noir is very good when used in a seafood risotto and also for poached figs, when combined with spices and red wine vinegar. You can use dry white wine, both as a marinade before grilling seafood or to poach the seafood in. You can combine the wine with water and herbs and the wine flavor will be pleasantly subtle in the finished seafood dish.

If you are making something like a garlic shrimp appetizer, you might like to combine dry white wine with something as flavorful as Pernod. Pernod is a very strong liqueur so only a tiny amount is needed!

The key rule about using California wine in seafood cookery is that if you do not think the dish needs it, do not add it. Not every appetizer recipe calls for wine. Not using wine in an appetizer means you will have plenty left in the bottle to enjoy with the meal!