Clean glassware

Wizz · Post by **Wizz** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 5:55 pm

At the quick get together with Gavin and 707 a week or so ago, I was less enamoured with the 02 Summerfield Reserve Cab than Gavin or Steve was. I think I just found out why.

I have open two bottles of 00 Water Wheel Shiraz, and tested each bottle in a different glass. One showed up OK, the other showed with some offputting green, nettle type characters and hardly any fruit. I swapped the glasses over, and lo and behold, the flavour stayed with the glass, not the bottle!

My taste of the Summerfield Cab last week was a bit similar, so here we appear to have a common culprit: unclean glasses. Bugger. I know the glassware was changed a couple of times that night, perhaps why the other wines showed so well, and this one didnt look so good to me. This hasnt happened before at home, but we have been getting lazy and doing glasses in the dishwasher

We have bottle variation to deal with, and now glass variation...

moral of the story, keep everythgin clean and if in doubt ask for replacement glassware!

cheers

Andrew

Attila · Post by **Attila** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 11:05 pm

It's all possible. Thursday evening I attended a tasting where a sparkling semillon was served in a dirty glass. I didn't want to be rude to the lady so I asked for mineral water later and then watched the resurrection of the previously flat and boring wine. It was much more alive in the cleaner glass and showed better (although still not good enough for me to write about) to my satisfaction. Yes, I'm pretty sensitive about my glassware at home, I always drink my wines from PERFECTLY clean glasses.
Cheers,
Attila

GrahamB · Post by **GrahamB** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 11:20 am

I always hand wash my glasses in hot water and then dry and polish. What do others do? Is there some good cleaner?

I use the suggestion of the denture cleaner for my decanting carafe and it works a treat for getting the stain out.

Should we be using a sterilizing liquid?

This wine drinking is becoming complicated.

Graham

Wizz · Post by **Wizz** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 12:21 pm

Yes, this is getting frustrating enough!
First we had cork taint, random oxidation brett, etc etc. bad enough.
Then we got we have SOx under Stelvin, random variation due to things like dissolved ox levels
Now we have to worry about glass cleaning (and decanter cleaning)
And we've always had to drink the stuff in the presence of all sorts of other evil smells and distractions.

Maybe I'll just stick to golf, a hole in one might be easier than the perfect glass of wine.

TORB · Post by **TORB** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 12:50 pm

Attila wrote: I attended a tasting where a sparkling semillon was served in a dirty glass. Attila

Serves you bloody well right for drinking a sparkling smelly-ion in the first place.

I normally find that a quick rinse with water between wines is sufficient, assuming they are all reasonably big reds.

As to cleaning glasses normally, lots of hot water a little detergent and a rub down with with a cloth and then loads of boiling hot rinse water and drip dry.

Daryl Douglas · Post by **Daryl Douglas** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 3:57 pm

TORB wrote:As to cleaning glasses normally, lots of hot water a little detergent and a rub down with with a cloth and then loads of boiling hot rinse water and drip dry.

My procedure to a T, though I give the glasses more of a scrub than a rub down with the cloth.

:wink:

Pedantically he asks, "Ric, do you think any one type of cloth is superior for the task?" :roll:

Cheers

daz

AlanK · Post by **AlanK** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 4:02 pm

Rinse glass with water, then with next wine.

Cheers,
Alan

Wizz · Post by **Wizz** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 4:10 pm

TORB wrote:
I normally find that a quick rinse with water between wines is sufficient, assuming they are all reasonably big reds.

As to cleaning glasses normally, lots of hot water a little detergent and a rub down with with a cloth and then loads of boiling hot rinse water and drip dry.

This is what I normally do, and I've now lerned the dishwasher is no substitute..

TORB · Post by **TORB** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 5:21 pm

Daryl Douglas wrote: Pedantically he asks, "Ric, do you think any one type of cloth is superior for the task?"

Daz,

"Pedantic" as in anally retentive of pain in the arse :?:

Jiff!

Daryl Douglas · Post by **Daryl Douglas** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 6:13 pm

TORB wrote:
Daryl Douglas wrote: Pedantically he asks, "Ric, do you think any one type of cloth is superior for the task?"

Daz,

"Pedantic" as in anally retentive of pain in the arse

Jiff!

Onya Ric! Have seen some such a.r. posts on this subject in the past. :lol:

Still laughing.

Thanks

daz

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 9:23 pm

I awlays wash my glass by hand. Like everyone else, hot water and polish dry. I always wash my wine glass first and leave the rest til next morning or when ever I need to wash up again..

Daryl Douglas · Post by **Daryl Douglas** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 10:46 pm

Rob wrote:I awlays wash my glass by hand. Like everyone else, hot water and polish dry. I always wash my wine glass first and leave the rest til next morning or when ever I need to wash up again..

Forget about polishing. Only leaves lint, like in your belly button. Drip/air dry upside down is better. Any watermarks on the outside and around the rim can then easily be polished off. "Whenever I need to...." sounds like you use a mechanical dishwasher. Suggest you get MY GLASS engraved (perhaps with a portrait?) in case someone else sticks it in the machine while you're not watching. :!:

I'll stick with my/TORB's method for ALL of my glassware (and anyone else's), anal retentive pain in the arse that I am. :wink:

Cheers

daz

PS Ric, still laughing, maybe even harder!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Apr 05, 2004 6:50 pm

I put my glassware in the machine and am very happy with the results. They come out clean,shiny and tastless. I do use the tablets with the little ball.
I mainly use Spiegelau, sometimes Reidel, and they are no problem, no breakages.
MM.