Glassware

Two wine styles, two glasses that could hardly be more different — start with Franciacorta. The consortium itself has for some years now explicitly recommended not using a narrow flute, but rather a rounder, tulip-shaped glass.

The reason lies in the aging. A Franciacorta spends at least eighteen months on the lees, often considerably longer, developing toasty, bready aromas that a narrow flute barely leaves room for. The wider tulip shape gives them space, without letting the perlage — the rising bubbles — dissipate entirely.

For Chiavennasca from Valtellina, almost the opposite is true: it needs a larger, slightly tapering red wine glass, similar to the one used for Nebbiolo from Piedmont. High acidity and fine, but abundant, tannin can handle plenty of air contact. A glass that's too narrow crowds both together and makes the wine seem harsh.

Temperature is another point where the paths diverge. A Franciacorta belongs well chilled in the glass, at six to eight degrees Celsius, or the bubbles turn coarse and the acidity falls flat. A mature Sassella, on the other hand, can handle sixteen to eighteen degrees, considerably warmer than a fridge normally provides. Otherwise, herbal and cherry notes remain hidden behind the tannin.

Set both glasses side by side, and the difference is immediately clear: the slender, cool tulip glass for the bubbles from Lake Iseo, the broad, warmer glass for the mountain wine from Valtellina. Two shapes for two entirely different drinking moments. Swap them, and you'll taste the difference right away.