Glassmakers claim the shape of a glass’s bowl accentuates certain flavors and textures in the wine—sometimes, ostensibly, by controlling where the wine hits the tongue, or how much air hits the surface of the wine. Riedel, an industry leader, goes so far as to sell glasses customized to more than a dozen grapes and regions, including one glass for “Bordeaux Grand Cru” ($125 each) and a different one for “Mature Bordeaux” ($99 apiece). Pity the rube who desecrates a Chablis by pouring it into Riedel’s “Alsace” glass.
