Archive for the ‘Glass’ Category
The Appeal of the Martini Glass
- Personalized Gifts
- Personalized Beer Glasses
- Personalized Pint Glasses
- Personalized Shot Glasses
- Personalized Glass
Of all the different types of cocktail glasses, the martini glass is probably the most easily recognizable. Its iconic shape is the most common sign of the ultra lounge set and the international symbol for swank In my opinion, half the appeal of ordering a martini is getting to drink out of the martini glass! With its elegant and fun shape, you can not help but have a good time drinking from a martini glass.
It seems as if there are as many martini recipes out there as there are martini glasses. Popular television shows such as HBO’s Sex in the City increased the public’s love of the martini by making the Cosmo and the Flirtini household names. But a traditional martini leaves the fluff and cliché behind, consisting merely of gin, vermouth, and of course the olive. And to make the perfect traditional martini, you must have the traditionally shaped martini glass. But the glass is not just for looks.
There is a reason the martini is served in a martini glass; there is a purpose for the martini glass’s unique shape. The wide brim of the glass creates tension at the surface of the martini, which helps bring out the bouquet of the gin. The cone shaped bowl of the martini glass is important because it helps keep the martini ingredients from separating. Another important feature of the martini glass is that it keeps your martini at a nice cool temperature, if you are holding your glass properly that is. The martini glass falls under the category of stemware and stemware is meant to be held by its stem. This way, the body heat from your hands will not raise the temperature of your chic drink. Aesthetically, the conical shape of the martini glass is just the right silhouette for displaying a perfectly placed olive or pearl onion.
Traditionalists may argue that a true martini glass is made of nothing but smooth, clear glass and a straight stem. However, many variations on this traditional look may be found on the market today. Artisans have created martini glasses with swirls of color, or out of one solid color entirely. You may also find martini glasses encrusted with faux gems, beading, and other ornamental touches. And it’s not just the bowl of the glass that has undergone embellishment. You may find martini glasses with decorative stems, from twisted and curving whimsical styles to stacks of geometric shapes and everything in between. And if you are looking for a unique and stylish gift, you can have a martini glass or martini glass gift set personally engraved for that swanky lounge lover in your circle of friends.
Sadly, the beloved martini glass is not without it’s faults. It’s top heavy design can make it easy to tip over, thus spilling your precious drink. And if you manage to keep from spilling it all together, sometimes the extra wide brim mouth can make taking a sophisticated sip rather tricky if you are not careful with the zeal in which you hoist the glass to your lips! And lastly, at a traditionally four to six ounce capacity, one could say that even if you manage to savor every drop, your martini glass will still be empty all too soon.
White Wine Basics
White wine is like the beginner wine for wine many wine connoisseurs. White wines lighter color and often sweeter flavor is attractive to many beginning wine drinkers and is a sort of gateway into wine drinking for many. Not all white wine is sweet, however. There are many different varietals of white wine including Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris, Rieslings, and Sauvignon Blanc. The varietal refers to the specific variety or type of grape used to make a particular wine.
White wine is actually not white at all. It is typically a goldenish yellow color. White wine gets its color from the type of grape used. White wine is made from the juice and skin of green, gold, or yellow colored grapes.
Chardonnay is the top selling white wine in the United States. Chardonnay is a dry white wine, meaning there are very little residual sugars left after the fermentation process. The Chardonnay grape is one of the easiest grape varietals to grow, and can easily adapt to a wide range of climates. Given the popularity and high supply of Chardonnay, you can often buy a good bottle for less than $15. Chardonnay is best known for its oaky or buttery flavor with a hint of fruit flavors like apple or pear.
Pinot Blanc is a medium to dry white wine that originates in the Alsace region of France. The Pinot Blanc grape is a genetic mutation of the Pinot Noir grape (it’s red counterpart). Pinot Blanc has often been mistaken for Chardonnay because their vines are quite similar. Pinot Blanc is a light flavored wine with high acidity and flavors like citrus, melon, pear, and apricot.
Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris is Italy’s most popular white wine. It is a crisp and light wine that is intended to be consumed early, and does not age well. It is an early-to-market wine because it can be bottled and sold anywhere from four to 12 weeks after fermentation. It is typically a fairly sweet wine with high acidity.
Rieslings are best known as sweet wines, but can also be dry. The Riesling varietal originated in Germany, and has gained recent popularity worldwide. The crisp and refreshing flavors of Rieslings tend to be fruity flavors such as apple, pear and peach along with citrus and tropical nuances. Because of the vast variety of Rieslings, they have their own flavor classification system known as the Ripeness Classification System. This system is used to help consumers determine what to expect in their Riesling—weather it will be light or medium-bodied as well as if it will be sweet or dry.
Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp and refreshing white wine varietal that originated in the Loire Valley of France and is commonly grown in New Zealand today. Sauvignon Blanc has a wide variety of flavors, but typically it is dry with a very herbaceous quality.
There are many other white wine varietals grown and produced around the world today, but these are the top contenders in the white wine market today. Weather you like your wine dry or sweet, there is surely a white wine out there that will suit your fancy.