Glassware

Saxon wine rarely packs much punch. The cool nights of the Elbe Valley keep alcohol low and acidity high. That's exactly what calls for a glass that doesn't amplify this restraint even further.

A bowl-shaped glass, the kind used for full-bodied red wine, spreads a Goldriesling out too widely across the tongue. Its delicate musky note simply evaporates. A slimmer white wine glass with a slightly narrowed opening works better, concentrating the aroma before it dissipates and directing it exactly where the nose can pick it up best.

With sparkling wine from Radebeul, the biggest mistake usually lies in the glass itself. The narrow flute looks elegant, but it compresses the carbon dioxide so tightly that it stings on the tongue instead of gently fizzing. The toasty notes built up during the long bottle aging in the cellars of Schloss Wackerbarth barely come through. A tulip-shaped sparkling wine glass with a bit more belly suddenly reveals the same wine's brioche and ripe apple aromas.

Temperature is where a lot gets lost. A Goldriesling or young Riesling belongs in the glass at eight to ten degrees Celsius — colder than most people pour out of habit. Otherwise the acidity tastes sharp rather than fresh. Sparkling wine can go even cooler, six to eight degrees, but not ice-cold, or you'll taste little beyond the fizz.

And then there's the pour: fill a white wine glass no more than a third full. With a wine that's already restrained by nature, the nose needs all the empty space above to find anything at all. Pour it to the brim, and you'll mostly taste alcohol and acid — missing exactly what makes a Saxon wine interesting.