Priming the glass???

[Rosie]

Why this process is used? Is it for show or does it really make a difference in the taste of the wine?

[David Lynch]

It is not just for show. The way I describe it is as an "extra step of service" we do to enhance one's enjoyment of the wine. The idea behind priming a glass is to literally rinse it out with a little bit of the wine the customer is drinking. We tilt the glass to the side, put it up against a service towel, and twirl the glass so that the wine coats the entire glass, right up to the rim (the towel preventing spillage, of course). With the big Spiegelau stems that we use, priming is invaluable--it infuses the glass with the scent of the wine, giving the customer a much more accurate read on the wine's aroma. There are no food odors, or detergent smells, or smoke odors from the bar to muck up the smell/taste of the wine.

Priming is especially useful if you keep your glasses in a cabinet and they pick up a woody/varnishy smell from the cabinet. Along with rinsing them out with water it is advisable to prime them with a little of your wine so that all you smell is the wine. That's the point, right?

[Rail Paul]

There are no food odors, or detergent smells, or smoke odors from the bar to muck up the smell/taste of the wine.

Priming is especially useful if you keep your glasses in a cabinet and they pick up a woody/varnishy smell from the cabinet. Along with rinsing them out with water it is advisable to prime them with a little of your wine so that all you smell is the wine. That's the point, right?

David -

Have you found that wine glasses stored in, or near, a bar area tend to attract smoke or other odors from the bar area? I would suspect that could be a problem in certain restaurants.

Thanks

Paul

[David Lynch]

Yeah, the bar can definitely get smoky here--and while I'm typically not getting my glasses from the bar, the bartenders are. So they prime, too.