Glassware

A glass changes how much alcohol you smell before you even take a sip. With Cannonau, often topping fourteen percent alcohol by volume, that's no small difference. A glass that's too narrow concentrates the alcohol vapour right above the nose. The wine then comes across as hot, even before the fruit gets a chance to show itself.

For a Cannonau, a wide, generously bowled glass with a flared rim works best, similar to a glass suited to a powerful red wine from warmer regions. The large airspace above lets the alcohol dissipate before it reaches the nose. It gives the dark cherry fruit and the herbal aromas of the macchia room to unfold. Served at sixteen to eighteen degrees Celsius, the wine shows itself as round rather than fiery.

Vermentino di Gallura needs exactly the opposite. A slender, upright glass with a narrowing rim holds the aromas together before they disperse into the room: citrus, herbs, and that salty edge reminiscent of sea air. Served too warm, Vermentino quickly turns flabby. Its freshness then vanishes; eight to ten degrees is plenty.

A third rule applies to Vernaccia di Oristano, since the wine ages under a layer of yeast like a Sherry and carries a similarly high alcohol content. A small, tulip-shaped glass, barely larger than a Sherry glass, concentrates the aromas of almond and salty air without emphasising the alcohol. In large glasses, this wine loses its precision. It then tastes of nothing but warmth.

The same basic rule applies to all three, as it does everywhere: fill the glass only to its widest point, never higher. Space must remain above the wine where the aroma can gather before reaching the nose. Otherwise, all that remains of salty air, herbs and cherry in the end is the alcohol, no matter how carefully the grapes were grown.