Stemware matters. Particularly fine sparkling wine stemware.
Does glassware make a difference when tasting sparkling wine? Your humble bubblehead-in-chief wondered. Hence my recent stemware smackdown, pitting one sparkling wine against two different fine wine flutes.
Spoiler alert: definite differences, indeed.
Stemware smackdown: Josephinen Hütte No. 4 Champagne flute vs. Glasvin Natural Stemware “The Champagne” — Méthode Oregon Sparkling Wine: Ambar Estate 2022 Blanc de Blancs.
The Wine
| Wine | Ambar Estate 2022 Blanc de Blancs | Dundee Hills – Willamette Valley |
| Vintage | 2022 – a cool vintage, resulting in high natural acidity and freshness |
| Cépage | 100% Chardonnay, sourced from east-facing Carter’s Block and Maple Block, both located near a forest on Ambar Estate in the Dundee Hills of Oregon’s Willamette Valley |
| Alcohol | 11.5% |
| Dosage | 5.0 g/L |
| En Tirage | Three years |
| SRP | $95 US |
Fun fact: Ambar Estate produced only 70 cases of their inaugural Méthode Oregon sparkling wine.
Tasting Notes
Josephinen Hütte No. 4 Champagne Glass
| Presentation | Delicate gold robe, ultra-fine beading, marvelously luxe mousse |
| Nose | A glorious array of secondary and tertiary aromas, including lemon curd, white florals and nougat |
| Palate | Vivid citron on the attack, followed by layers of golden orchard fruit mid-palate, and sublime flintiness on the finish |
| Conclusion | Finer bubbles and mousse, more enhanced aromas, and an overall elevated, elegant tasting experience |
Glasvin Natural “The Champagne”
| Presentation | Bright gold robe, persistent beading, generous mousse |
| Nose | Less aromatic complexities. Golden apple, white stones, and lemon zest carries through from nose to palate, with a crisp, energetic finish |
| Conclusion | A broader, more kinetic experience |
The Stemware
Josephinen Hütte No. 4 Champagne
European crafted, mouth-blown Champagne flute designed by sixth-generation glassmaker Kurt Josef Zalto.
Fun fact: Josephinen Hütte pays homage to Josephinenhütte, a Silesian glassworks founded in 1842 in the Krkonoše Mountains by Count Leopold von Schaffgotsch. The name nods to his beloved wife, Josephine.
Glasvin Natural Stemware The Champagne
New York–designed, handmade stemware aimed for everyday use.
Fun fact: A young, diversity-based company intent on disrupting traditional business methods, Glasvin partners with the glassblowing factories directly, thereby eliminating distributor and retail markups.
Originally published as Tête de Bulle, Nº 49 by Lyn M. Archer.
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