Glasses

Even a glass can be too generous. Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc thrives on high acidity and a scent of gooseberry and green passionfruit. In a wide, bowl-shaped glass, that very aroma escapes before the nose ever catches it.

A slim glass that narrows toward the top works better. It concentrates the volatile aromas over a smaller opening and directs the first sip to the tip of the tongue, where sweetness stands out, rather than further back, where only acidity registers. The wine tastes rounder this way, without anything about the wine itself actually changing.

A different rule applies to the traditionally fermented sparkling wine from the Piccadilly Valley. A narrow flute looks pretty. But it stifles both aroma and perlage — the rising chain of fine bubbles — within far too tight a column. A tall, gently curved tulip glass suits it better, giving the carbonation room while still carrying the delicate yeasty note from bottle fermentation upward.

Chardonnay from the same site, aged in barrel and carrying more weight, needs more space again. A larger but not overly wide glass gives butter and nut notes room to breathe without drowning the cool fruit that this altitude makes possible in the first place.

Pinot Noir from Lenswood is the most fragile case of all. Its scent of red cherries and forest floor is quiet, and too large a glass disperses it until only alcohol remains in the nose. A medium-sized glass that tapers gently keeps the aroma tight enough together for it to actually reach you.