Overheard some random chatter the other day about ISO-990 certified wine-tasting glasses…why is this necessary? Does wine really taste different out of an official glass than it would out of the bottle? Or a random drinking glass?
whats the SD?
Just a WAG but I think someone was pulling your leg but there are potential differences. Smell is a large part of taste so the size and diameter of the top of the glass. You won’t get the bouquet if you drink from the bottle.
I googled “wine + ISO”.
I got the following page: http://www.wineglasses.co.uk/isodoc.html
“The ISO/DOC range. ISO stands for International Standards Organisation, which means that the product with this stamp has to be made of a particular size, shape and standard for a specific use. These specifications have been set to provide the perfect and most versatile Tasting Glass available.
Made from fine colourless crystal, it’s rounded shape and smoothness generates an ideal relationship between surface area and volume - it’s tapered bowl allowing free circulation of wine and the funnelling of it’s vapours. All these attributes combine to make a superior product that is without equal. Suuplied in ouiters of 24 containing 4 x 6 boxes.”
As a result of the above, I believe that there IS in fact an ISO standard for wine glasses. I can’t verify the authenticity of
The Wineglass Company Limited
Rose Villa Court
Potton Road
Biggleswade
Bedfordshire
SG18 0EP
however I imagine they’re a legitimate merchant.
BTW, ISO has an official web site listing the wine glass, which is ISO 3591 as far as I can tell…
BTW, ISO has an official web site listing the wine glass, which is ISO 3591 as far as I can tell…
From here you can buy the specs, in case you want to manufacture wine glasses…
I wonder if those glasses have a lip or not?
Here is an article on the subject form Slate -
Glass Sipper
Does a 50-buck wineglass buy you better-tasting wine?
Small part of article below.
There could be a lot of things in what you heard:
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ISO 3591, which Jonathan Woodall found, is a protocol for wine tasting, and which specifies a certain type of wine glass. Those familiar with the ISOs will not be surprised by that.
The glasses being sold on the other Website that Jonathan found are not “ISO-certified,” as there is no such thing. The only guarantee here is made by the seller, that the glasses are suitable as testing equipment. The purpose of such specifications is to ensure that the tests (or tastings, in this case) are comparable to each other; there is no implication that these glasses are more suitable for tasting wine than any other wine glasses. -
ISO990, which is mentioned in the OP, must be a mistake. That has something to do with analysis of potassium hydroxide.
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It’s possible that the chatter was about ISO 9000, which is an international general protocol for quality assurance – record-keeping, mostly. If the company is registered to ISO 9000 (to one of its sections, rather), one may purchase supplies from them with a greater-than-usual degree of confidence that their procedures are written and well-defined. However, to claim that the glasses one buys from a such a company are “ISO-certified” betrays a complete lack of understanding of the entire process.
But… is there an ISO for 1920’s-style death rays?
No, there isn’t. ISO 1920.314 (proposed) was withdrawn at the behest of [sub]fnord[/sub]. However, the world’s leading (and only) manufacturer of 1920s-style death rays, MRI International (formerly the Miskatonic Research Institute) is registered to ISO 9002:2000. They are not registered to ISO 14000; however, there is no truth to the rumor that the last person to suggest it now resides at Arkham Asylum, where he spends his nights screaming.
And, of course, there is no association whatsoever between MRI’s dominance of the 1920s-style death ray market and the disappearance of their major competitor, Tesla Associates (buildings and all).
Having been to Reidel tastings, I have to confirm that there is an apparent difference between the same wine in right and wrong glasses.
Certainly the effect of the glass size on the aroma is noticeable and makes sense.
But I have a hard time swallowing (hah!) that the part of the tongue the wine is delivered to could have any noticeable effect; if it did it would only be for the fraction of a second before the wine covered the whole inside of the mouth.
On the other hand they are beautiful glasses, and I’m proud to serve my guests quality Australian wine in them.