Bottega del Vino Crystal - If The Wine Matters, So Does The Glass!

Don't you just love when you come home to a package in the mail or a FedEx delivery? I know I do!  It reminds me of when I first went to sleep away summer camp and mom would send me cookies, brownies, and little books to read.  Or when I belonged to those wonderful record clubs that sent a new album every month! Uhhh. Umm. Yes. VINYL albums. Don't judge.

This month I received one of those wonderful packages...from the great folks at Bottega del Vino Crystal asking me to take the Bottega del Vino Wine Glass Challenge.

The premise of Bottega's challenge is charmingly simple and ties directly to their "tag" line - 

"If The Wine Matters, So Does The Glass" 

Photo Courtesy of Bottega del Vino Crystal

And the challenge? 

Simply take a glass you would normally drink wine from and compare it to the Bottega glass.

Bottega del Vino Crystal is dedicated to creating the perfect wine glass and they take true craftsman pride in their hand made glasses. Each glass is made with lead free crystal formulation, and best of all, they are dishwasher safe!

Bottega del Vino is especially proud that their glasses can make even the most inexpensive wine taste better when served from their glass.

Since I'm always up to a challenge, especially one that involves wine - I jumped at the chance to participate.

First, let me tell you about the Bottega wine glass we received!  It was stock number BV07, and is described as, "Our most popular stem, the Rosso Amarone is designed for medium bodied red wines such as amarone, merlot, Brunello de Montalcino and Shiraz"

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Bottega del Vino Crystal offers a full array of barware and glasses, with everything from apertif glasses to champagne flutes to cognac snifters.  Best of all, they offer special two-pack and four-pack packaging that's perfect for special gift-giving!

What an elegant hostess gift or something special for someone you love!

Photo Source: Bottega del Vino Crystal

Photo Source: Bottega del Vino Crystal

On a recent weekend we decided to try both a white wine and red wine challenge. I pulled out my old crystal wine glasses from the china closet to test against the Bottega del Vino Crystal glasses for the challenge.

We made this a two day affair, taste testing a Riesling on Friday and a Pinot Noir on Saturday.  Both are my favorite wines and I intentionally purchased two inexpensive brands from my FAVORITE local wine shoppe, Coastal Wines and Spirits in Branford CT.  (Long time readers will remember Coastal Wines is where I met Romana Singer of Real Housewives of New York - Read more about my Ramona meeting: HERE)

My old wine glass is on the left and the Bottega on the right.

Friday we started with a Hogue Riesling, and purchased a bottle that retails for just under $10.00. If you're unfamiliar with Riesling, it originated in the Rhine region of Germany, and is usually sweet, or semi-sweet, which is probably why I like it so much.

Hogue states that their wine "opens with a melange of aromas: orange blossom, jasmine, Meyer lemon, powdered sugar, apricot, cinnamon and clove. On the palate are tangerine and orange blossom. A naturally crisp acidity balances the slight sweetness, providing a refreshing finish" (Hogue Cellars Johannisberg Riesling).  Always the snackers, we paired the Riesling with some assorted Mediteranian olives.

Saturday we had an Angeline Pinot Noir, purchasing a bottle that retailed for $14.99. I only recently discovered how much I loved Pinot Noir wines after sampling Duckhorn Golden Eye Pinot Noir at Mohegan Sun's Wine Fest. 

Because Duckhorn retails for approximately 4 times what Angeline does, this was a true chance to see if the Bottega wine glass truly makes a less expensive wine taste better!

Angeline states, "This Pinot Noir is a lively garnet color with aromas of intense fruit, luscious vanilla and spice. Bright fruit flavors or fresh strawberry, cherry, raspberry and ripe plum are layered with creamy vanilla, smoke, tea spice and toasty oak." (Angeline Pinot Noir). We snacked on assorted mixed nuts while sampling the Angeline for the Bottega challenge.

Both nights, we followed the comparative directions from Bottega, which were to fill the glasses 20-25% full.  This is more than the standard one ounce used for tastings, but not so much that it hampers the ability to allow the wine room to breathe properly in the glass. We were then directed to pause for moment, clear our mind, give the wine a swirl in the glass, and take a deep breath from the glass. Then, pause for 10 seconds before exhaling, and commit to memory the scents we experience.  But DON'T sip the wine yet! Then repeat the process with the Bottega glass, and compare your sensory thoughts.  

Only after that process can you move on to the actual taste sampling.  Perform the same sensory actions, but this time we took a sip from each glass. I can honestly say that there was a true difference in the wine from one glass to the other.  The Bottega glass sipping resulted in a subtly smoother taste, much less acidic from the the other glass. Bottega explains that this difference is caused from not smelling alcohol in the glass, only the actual fruits, berries and other components used in the blending of the wine. 

Because the wine does taste smoother and less acidic, the Bottega Wine Glass DOES make a less expensive wine taste like a more expensive one! 

For both the Riesling and the Pinot Noir, all the flavors, textures, and aromas were clear and concise. Wonderful!

Another benefit of the glass that Bottega did not mention in their literature was the the extended rim on the glass. The extra wide circumference of the rim allowed for ease in drinking, with none of the hitting of the bridge of the nose.  I know what I'm saying might sound silly, but quite frankly, it was the first thing I noticed, pleasurable, and a great feature of the glass. In addition, the base, stem, and bowl of this glass were all superiorly made, of substantial weight - yet not heavy, well balanced, and fit comfortably in the hand.

I would heartily recommend that you try any of the Bottega del Vino Crystal handmade wine glasses, barware, or decanters and you too will be amazed at the improvement in any wine's taste.

If the wine matters, so does the glass!

You can order your own Bottega wine glass from their website:

Bottega del Vino Crystal Ordering

Photo Source: Bottega del Crystal

"Like" them on Facebook: HERE

Also available on their website is great information on:

 tips for serving wine, selecting wine glasses, information on lead free crystal, 

and MORE, MORE, MORE!

Cheers!

*****

Disclaimer: I received the Bottega Crystal Wine Glass as a gift to evaluate  however, all opinions expressed in this review are my own.