Sense of Taste

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			Sense of Taste People have drunk wine for centuries. They have drunk it from cups, goblets, chalices, glasses and tumblers. But no one ever gave any thought to the connection between the gustatory qualities of the drink and the shape of the container from which it was drunk until Claus Riedel discovered that there was such a connection. As often happens, this discovery was accidental. But the brilliant breakthrough could hardly be described as simple. The moment of truth According to the family tradition, Herr Riedel and a group of guests were discussing the wine that they were drinking. Opinions on its quality differed with some asserting that it was divine, others claiming that it had clearly not been from a good vintage, while others still dismissed it as ‘fair to middling’. The head of the house did not spend much time thinking about the differences in his guests’ opinion, but took a closer look at all of them. For some unknown reason, they were using glasses of all different shapes and sizes to sip their wine. History is silent as to whether Claus Riedel rushed up to his friends and started trying the wine from each glass to prove his brilliant theory, but it does tell us that this was precisely the moment when he had every reason to shout: “Eureka!” What he had discovered, he was subsequently to formulate thus: the taste of a wine depends directly on the shape of the glass from which it is drunk. In other words, one glass can have the effect of destroying the taste, while another can show all its finest qualities. But there’s this proviso: the glass cannot change the taste of the wine; it can only change our perception of the taste. The point is that Riedel’s glasses are made in such a way that the liquid flows to the ‘right’ areas of the tongue and avoids the ‘dangerous’ ones – this is due to the skill of the designers and not in the least to trickery. Geography of the tongue To understand what we mean by the ‘right’ areas and the ‘dangerous’ areas and why this is so important in making glasses, we must make a short and interesting anatomical digression. Stand in front of a mirror, stick out your tongue, and examine it closely. Just a tongue, you think? Well, of course. But in actual fact, it’s carefully divided into geographical areas, each of which has its own unique surface, characteristics and functions. Take, for example, the south part. The tip of the tongue is covered with thousands of tiny mushroom-shaped papillae, which are very sensitive to the perception of anything that tastes sweet and almost insensitive to anything that tastes bitter. The northern area of the tongue, i.e. the area around its root, is covered with foliated and fluted papillae which, on the contrary, are very sensitive to anything bitter. The eastern and western areas prefer things that taste salty, and the central part reacts to things that taste sour. By stimulating these various areas, you can get them to respond to each of the main gustatory sensations. Thus, there are four tastes: sweet, sour, bitter and salty. So where do all the numerous nuances contained in the aromatic bouquet of wine come from? In creating a rich gustatory palette, the tongue is aided by… the nose. The sensations of taste are most closely connected with those of smell, and the enormous variety of shades is determined by the aromatic qualities of the foodstuffs. So it is hardly surprising that a heavy head cold makes food appear to be tasteless. True, when Riedel created his amazing glasses, he never suspected the existence of such complex theories – it was, after all, a good twenty years after the Austrian glazier that scientists made the first discoveries about taste zones. A glass in section The shape and volume of a glass are responsible for the intensiveness and pleasantness of a bouquet. The shape of a glass determines whether the wine will reach the receptors (sour, sweet etc.) in the ‘right’ area and, consequently, whether its taste will be balanced; the volume of the glass determines whether the wine will reveal its aromatic secrets and whether we can fully enjoy its bouquet. Acquaintance with any alcoholic drink begins with an appreciation of its aroma. Wine starts to evaporate almost immediately it is poured into a glass. The smells rapidly fill the bowl in layers depending on their density and specific gravity. The lightest and most unstable aromas – those of fruits and flowers – rise to the top, to the rim of the glass. The middle of the bowl is filled with the green, vegetable tangs and the earthy, mineral components of the bouquet, while the heaviest odours – those of alcohol and wood – sink to the bottom. When we shake the wine, it moistens the walls of the glass and the area of evaporation and the intensity of the aroma increase, but this does not mean that the odoriferous layers mix. Which particular nuance of one and the same wine becomes prominent does not depend on fancy manipulations with the glass, but on its size and shape. In one instance it will be fruity flavours; in another, the tang of oak. Red wines have a better ‘sound’ in voluminous glasses, white wines are better in medium glasses, and spirits should be drunk from small glasses. When it comes to the first direct contact with the drink itself rather than its volatile components, the point on the tongue that the wine touches first is extremely important. And that depends on the shape of the edge of the glass. For example, a sheared edge makes it possible for the wine to flow evenly on to the tongue, while a rimmed edge, on the contrary, impedes the even flow of the wine, thereby accenting its acidity and sharpness. Now to the actual shape of the glass. A wide, funnel-shaped opening means that we have to lower our heads to drink the wine and we drink it in small sips. On the other hand, a narrow glass makes us throw our heads back, and then the liquid flows into the mouth under the pressure of its own weight. In this way, the angle at which the glass is bent also determines which taste zones it falls upon. Standard of correspondence One of Riedel’s rules states that content determines form. The variety of grape, the climate and the soil in which they were grown give each wine a unique set of characteristics, like fruitiness, acidity, mineral content, tannin content and alcohol content. Riedel’s glasses were specially made to take account of the characteristics of each wine, and their size and shape are attached to the typical aromas of grape varieties. These vessels make it possible to bring the drink to the tongue and nose in such a way that they fully reveal its individuality. The Bordeaux Grand Cru glass was created in 1959 to bring out all the magnificence of the Bordeaux wines – the elegant and complex end-result of the Cabernet, Sauvignon, Cabernet Fran and Merlot grapes. The large tulip-shaped bowl provides enough volume for inhaling the aromas of both young and vintage wines, freeing the numerous layers of the bouquet, and revealing the whole range of aromas. The careful combination of acidity and the sweet, mild tannins gives the wine more body on the tongue and lengthens the aftertaste. The glass may be used for noble red wines that are not only from the Bordeaux region. The Mature Bordeaux glass of medium size is more suitable for the mature wines. The size of its bowl is considerably less than that on the Bordeaux Grand Cru, and this makes it possible to conceal certain shortcomings often found in a wine of advanced age. The resultant taste is both rich and balanced. The ‘sleeping’ tannins awaken in the mouth and the fruitiness of the drink also begins to make itself felt. The Bourgogne Grand Cru, which has been called ‘the handsome giant’, has been deemed worthy of a place at a permanent exhibition in the New York Museum of Contemporary Arts. Like litmus paper, it can expose ‘impostors’ that claim to be noble wines, and present the great wines in all their glory. The large bowl helps the bouquet to fully reveal itself, while the upper part, which is slightly widened at the rim, has the effect of increasing the fruitiness and directing the flow of the wine right to the front of the tongue – an essential thing for such wines as Barolo, Barbaresco, Beaujolais Cru, Burgundy (red), Pinot Noir, and Pommar etc. And while simultaneously bringing out the fruitiness and acidity of the wine for balancing the bouquet, this glass makes it possible to feel a magnificent three-dimensional ‘picture of taste’. The wide, funnel-shaped opening of the Bourgogne glass favours the appearance of plant and oak components, and directs the wine in a wide flow to the edges of the tongue that are sensitive to acidity. This accentuates the acidity of the wine and its piquant mineral components. The Rose glass is intended for young and simple (from the point of view of bouquet) rosé wines. The slightly bent back rim makes it possible to deliver the wine directly to the tip of the tongue, which is sensitive to sweet tastes. Thus, the fresh fruitiness of the wine is brought out, the high level of acidity is softened, and the characteristic aromas of the red berries are highlighted. The slightly narrowed top of the Chardonnay glass reveals the low acidity of Bordeaux (white), Burgundy (white), Chablis, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Hermitage Blanc etc. that sets off the alcoholic and rich bouquet of the wines. It also brings out the aroma of the grapes, and ensures a long and balanced aftertaste. The Riesling glass is made with a small rim so that the wine flows into the mouth, by-passing that area of the tongue that is sensitive to acidity, because in this wine it is the sweetness that should be stressed. On the other hand, a Sauterne has too much sweetness, and so a glass designed for this wine should have the form of an upturned egg (the narrow part downwards), which widens and is smoothly rounded off at the top. Then the wine can go straight to the acid-sensitive areas of the tongue, and the increased acidity neutralizes the excessive liqueur-like sweetness of the drink. For champagne, Riedel offered three different glasses. The rim of the classical narrow Champagne glass is cut at a particular angle so that the bubbles play pleasantly and happily on the tongue. The glass for Sparkling Wine is made in the form of a flute. When filled to less than halfway, it concentrates the slightly yeasty aroma of the finest champagne wines. For mature champagnes, the Vintage Champagne glass is offered. In volume, it is larger than the classical champagne glass and narrows slightly at the top, making it possible to concentrate the unique bouquet of the old champagne wines, bring out their creamy structure and prevent the bubbles from dominating. The Claus Riedel Collection includes glasses not only for wine, but for strong spirits like cognac, whiskey, brandy, grappa and aquavit… by YULIYA ZORINA HISTORY OF THE RIEDEL FAMILY The Riedels have a two hundred and fifty year history connected with the manufacture of glass. Artists, scientists and industrialists – each generation has made its contribution to the art and science of glass-making. Johann Christoph Riedel (1678-1744) had a somewhat intermediary – or, to be more precise, middle-man – relationship to vases and glassware. He bought elegant crystal knick-knacks from the glass-blowers, and then travelled round Europe, selling them to the German Kurfüsten and the Spanish hidalgos. Johann Leopold Riedel (1726-1800) got rich during the time of the Silesian wars between Prussia and Austria by rapidly realizing what was what and ‘turning his ploughshares into swords’. Instead of making luxurious crystal articles, which few could afford, he began producing glass for windows. At the time, only small pieces of glass could be made and ordinary windows were assembled much in the same way as stained-glass windows. But Johann Leopold thought up a way of making large pieces of glass and immediately received an order from the Austrian government with the result that houses renovated after the war were fitted with ‘Riedel’s windows’. On May 17-1756, Johann Leopold hired a small glass-making facility in Antonienwald in Bohemia. Bohemia at the time was part of the Hapsburg Empire and a small enclave of Austrians lived there. When he died, Johann Leopold left his eldest son, Anton Leopold, three of his own glass factories, which were to be the foundations for the future Riedel Empire. By the early 19th century, the Bohemian factories were producing the whole range of glassware that was then available: vases, glasses, crystal chandeliers, watch and clock glasses and bottles for smelling salts. Franz Xaver Riedel (1786-1844) was the author of many of the glasses that have come down to us. He managed to find a ‘recipe’ for making coloured glasses – ruby, yellow and green. Josef Riedel (1816-1894) – the ‘crystal king of Bavaria’. Josef Riedel modernized his production with considerable speed and success by replacing wood with a more modern fuel – gas. His factories produced two thirds of all Bohemian glass including glassware and costume jewellery. Josef Riedel Jr. (1862-1924) – a pupil of Nobel Prize Winner for Chemistry, Richard Zigmondi. He took part in developing the first dispersible systems (colloids) that were used in the glass-blowing industry but – most importantly – he was able to apply his laboratory experiments to a large glass factory. He also carried out experiments in the field of the spectral analysis of filters, synthetic stones and diamonds, and industrial glass (for example, for traffic lights). Walter Riedel (1895-1974) – the inventor of glass fibre and one of the creators of the huge TV tubes that were used in the aerial defences of the Third Reich. His work attracted considerable interest in the Soviet Union, and after the defeat of Germany in 1945, Walter Riedel was taken secretly by the NKVD and brought to the USSR, where for ten years he headed a secret laboratory in Siberia. By some miracle, he managed not only to survive, but to return to Austria. Claus Riedel (1925- ). During the Second World War he was taken prisoner and for a long time nothing was known of his whereabouts. But he appeared again after the war not far from the Tyrol – he had managed to jump unnoticed from a train carrying prisoners of war. By a bit of good luck, the place where he escaped was not far from a factory which belonged to a Czech Bohemian, Daniel Swarovski, who had been a long-time friend of the Riedel family. All factories in Bohemia were confiscated by the new socialist government, and Claus began to work for Swarovski. After Walter Riedel returned from Siberia, the Riedels acquired a small glass factory in the little Tyrolean town of Küfstein in Upper Austria. They put everything they had into the production of glasses and, as time was to show, it was a very wise decision. It is symbolic that the Riedel Factory in Küfstein was opened in 1956, exactly 200 years after the founding of the dynasty. It was in the late 1950s that Claus Riedel discovered the connection between the shape of a glass and the taste of the wine drunk from it. In 1960, he launched a revolutionary series of Sommeliers glasses. Georg Riedel (1949- ) – Present head of the Riedel Company. TEST DRIVE To prove whether Claus Riedel was right, we carried out some research of our own into the relationship between the taste of wine and the shape of the glass from which it is drunk. Our experiment involved two bottles of white wine and two bottles of red wine, four of Riedel’s glasses (named according to the type of the wine) and one ordinary glass, which we called a Joker. The conclusions of our independent expert, Alexander Kuptsov, only served to confirm yet again the benefits of Riedel’s glasses. The results of the tasting were predictable from the start. These glasses revealed the very soul of the wine, and Riedel is rightly considered one of the finest producers of crystal for wine. Frequently, the ordinary consumer drinks good wine without giving any special thought to the glasses he is drinking from. And should the expected result not be obtained, the consumer tends to blame the wine and think that he has been tricked. In my opinion, there is no point in buying an expensive wine, if you haven’t got a suitable glass to drink it from. During the tasting, we saw how the simple Joker sometimes did OK with certain wines. Both the Chilean Chardonnay and the red Bordeaux weren’t too bad at all when drunk from it. But that was only if you didn’t look at the results shown by the Riedel glasses. If you consistently compare the tastes, the difference between the Joker and a Riedel glass will be absolutely clear. The results of our test (Click image to enlarge)