Top Tips on How to Take Care of Wine Glasses
Taking better care of your wine glasses is one of the most important things one can do if serving or just enjoying wine.
You may not think of it often, but your wine glasses are an important aspect of enjoying the hearty drink. Not only do they contribute to the appearance of an establishment or home, but they also play a role in the quality of your wine service.
By taking care of your wine glasses properly, you can ensure that they both look good and that the wine it serves taste greats at present and for years to come.
Here are a few tips on how to take care of wine glasses.
Tips on Taking Better Care of Your Wine Glasses
Knowing Thy Wine Glass
The first step in taking better care of your wine glass is understanding it. The fact is that not all wine glasses are created equally. There are some wine glasses made out of glass, and others made out of crystal. Understanding the difference between the two acts as the foundation for the care you’ll be providing.
When caring for glass, there are a few things you can do to ensure that it lives a long life. The first is never use scented soap to clean the glass as it will alter how well the wine tastes.
Wash the glass stemware with hot water and using a mild dish soap that is unscented. Use a soft sponge to clean the glass and rinse it with cold water.
On the other hand, if you have crystal wine glasses, these need much more care than their glass counterparts. As such, most connoisseurs agree that the most careful and reliable way to clean crystal is by washing them by hand, under warm water, and using a mild unscented soap.
When using soap for stemware, be sure to rinse thoroughly to get rid of all its traces.
Drying Wine Glasses
Resist the urge of putting your wine glasses in a dishwasher. Instead put them on a rack so both sides dry evenly. Make sure that you don’t place them upside down as this can damage certain parts of the glasses’ rim.
If you prefer placing them upside down though, one way around this is by placing them on a soft towel instead. This helps protect the rim of the wine glass while still promoting aeration.
Additionally, it is important to remember that you shouldn’t let it sit wet for extended periods of time as this can produce water spots and affect how it looks when serving.
Lastly, don’t stack too many glasses on top of each other or you could damage all of them.
Correct Storage Procedures
When not actively using your wine glasses, you’ll probably want to store them away some place safe. The last thing you want is to undo all the cleaning care for your wine glasses.
When storing your wine glasses, it is best to avoid storing them in boxes or even in within the kitchen.
There are some wine experts that recommend storing wine glasses in their original packaging. The problem with this though is that it can imbue a musty cardboard-like smell in the glasses.
Store wine glasses correctly by designating a spot for them in a cupboard. Ensure that this storage space is away from the stove or oven. Doing so will mean that the glasses don’t pick up any unwanted odors during storage.
Polishing is Essential
Do not assume that having a shiny surface means your glassware is cased and polished enough.
Just like how you would brush your teeth, polishing your wine glasses regularly makes them look brand new. In addition, keeping their surfaces smooth and even allows the best taste for wines to come out, resulting in the best wine experience.
This is one of the most important tips to follow for taking care of wine glasses.
Polishing can be done with microfiber cloths or with a special polishing powder made specifically for this use.
When polishing, always move in circular motions ensuring how it will keep its shine for longer periods of time than other methods such as using dishwashing detergent or Windex.
Cultivating a Good Wine Experience
Choosing how to take care of wine glasses is important not only for how it looks, but also how much pleasure you will get from drinking the fine beverage inside.
These are just some basic ways on how to take better care wine glasses. There is an infinite number on how to do so and how not to do so depending on how much attention you want to pay to it.
Still though, if you keep these tips in mind when taking better care of your wine glasses, you will be able to cultivate an exceptional and timeless wine experience.
If you want to take a big step towards having pristine wine glasses and an even better wine tasting experience, one quick way to do so is by getting the right tools for the job.
Excalibur Brothers’ Microfiber Polishing Cloth can be used to better care for your wine glasses. These smooth and lint-free microfiber cloths can be used to easily clean and polish your stemware, leaving no streaks behind.
We hope that you take these tips to heart and use them to better care for your wine glasses.