Priming and Seasoning Wine Glasses

[Brad Ballinger]

A little bit of ceremony is a good thing!

Sometimes the "backlash" against tradition in the name of "demystifying" something actually results in a sort of reverse snobism! Remember the luddites! :-)

←

Well made points. And while I'm not proclaiming we all become reverse snobs and drink wine from coffee mugs while thumbing our noses at those with the Riedel Sommelier series, there is something to be said for making wine more accessible attitude-wise.

And you are absolutely spot on in the need to intiate newbies into some of the traditions. It is there that we understand a larger picture.

[JohnL]

A little bit of ceremony is a good thing!

Sometimes the "backlash" against tradition in the name of "demystifying" something actually results in a sort of reverse snobism! Remember the luddites! :-)

←

Well made points. And while I'm not proclaiming we all become reverse snobs and drink wine from coffee mugs while thumbing our noses at those with the Riedel Sommelier series, there is something to be said for making wine more accessible attitude-wise.

And you are absolutely spot on in the need to intiate newbies into some of the traditions. It is there that we understand a larger picture.

←

Yes!

We've all been "newbies" !!

I remember sampling a red Burgundy at a formal tastting long ago.

I burried my nose in a glass and proclaimed: "Wow what a nose--really interesting!"a gentleman of no less than seventy sitting next to me said in soto voce without even looking up:

"It's sulphur..wait a few moments it will blow off."

Sure enough it was and he was right.

If I had not been taken with youthful exhuberance and been too self conscious to speak out I would have missed a valuable learning experience. If the gentleman next to me had ridiculed me for my ignorance it would have even been worse!!!!

[2roost]

"Priming" and "Seasoning" wine glasses are two of most ludicrous and pretentious things I've ever seen.

[mrbigjas]

don't mince words! tell us how you really feel!

[Really Nice!]

Just give me my glasses sans water stains or water spots. Nothing ruins a glass of fine wine more than having to look at it through the spots.

<okay, lots of things can ruin a glass more, but it's really annoying to spend good money on wine and have it served in a dirty glass>

["T"]

"Priming" and "Seasoning" wine glasses are two of most ludicrous and pretentious things I've ever seen.

←

I agree it is pretentious but not ludicrous.

When at informal(meaning at peoples homes) tastings and we all have one glass each often after tasting a wine we will all pour a small amount of the next wine in the glass, swirl, then into the spit bucket before pouring a proper glass full.

It makes sense.

[Brad Ballinger]

I agree it is pretentious but not ludicrous.

When at informal(meaning at peoples homes) tastings and we all have one glass each often after tasting a wine we will all pour a small amount of the next wine in the glass, swirl, then into the spit bucket before pouring a proper glass full.

It makes sense.

←

Yes, I do this all the time if I'm rinsing one wine out of my glass before pouring a new wine. I prefer to rinse with the new wine over rinsing with water. But that's different than priming an otherwise unadulterated glass.

[Really Nice!]

Yes, I do this all the time if I'm rinsing one wine out of my glass before pouring a new wine.  I prefer to rinse with the new wine over rinsing with water.  But that's different than priming an otherwise unadulterated glass.

←

I spent my 40th birthday at Serègo Alighieri and Masi just north of Verona. To start their wine tastings they would swirl a bit of wine in a unadulterated glass and pour it out. I was told this was to remove any residue from the dishwasher. I was with friends and was taken aback at this and my friend said "they" all do it as Craig points out. My friend had lived in Italy for three years at that time and had enough old world wine travel experience to witness that just about everywhere he went. I thought it was the soap residue, but I think it also has something to do with the hard water used in the dish washer. Just a hunch.

In my wine club when the next wine is coming around I just swirl some water in the glass, drink it, and turn the glass upside down on a napkin for a minute. It works well for me.

Regarding TCA, my experience has shown that once a TCA-tainted wine is in the glass, it'll remain in the glass no matter how many different wines are poured into it. If there's TCA in a glass, get a new glass.

[Brad Ballinger]

To start their wine tastings they would swirl a bit of wine in a unadulterated glass and pour it out. I was told this was to remove any residue from the dishwasher.

←

Who knew wine possessed such power as a soap residue solvent? "Hey, guys. Let's no longer take time to properly rinse, dry, and wipe the stemware free of spots from soap or hard water. Let's use wine to do it for us. Oh, better, yet: let's call it seasoning or priming the glass and really 'wow' our diners."

[Really Nice!]

Just reporting what they told me... :-)

[malcolmjolley]

This is also what I've heard back form readers: it's done all over to get rid of soap residue.

And I agree with Brad: better to just rinse the glass really well.

It's a waste of precious wine!

[Brad Ballinger]

It's a waste of precious wine!

←

Actually, when done correctly and well, priming four glasses can be done with less than one ounce of wine, and some wouldn't even consider that a waste. My issue is not with the fact that it uses wine, but that it just seems like a stupid little practice that does little to enhance wine enjoyment. I can't imagine anyone walking out of a restaurant with the following complaint: "Can you believe it? They didn't even prime the glasses. I'm not going back."

[ademello]

To start their wine tastings they would swirl a bit of wine in a unadulterated glass and pour it out. I was told this was to remove any residue from the dishwasher.

←

Who knew wine possessed such power as a soap residue solvent? "Hey, guys. Let's no longer take time to properly rinse, dry, and wipe the stemware free of spots from soap or hard water. Let's use wine to do it for us. Oh, better, yet: let's call it seasoning or priming the glass and really 'wow' our diners."

←

Not so sure it's to dissolve soap residue, but rather to remove the sometimes unpleasant odor that the dishwasher detergent or rinse agent leaves in the glass.

[Brad Ballinger]

Not so sure it's to dissolve soap residue, but rather to remove the sometimes unpleasant odor that the dishwasher detergent or rinse agent leaves in the glass.

←

To me, this practice (if true) does seem like a waste of wine, however small. All it is going to do is mask the odor-causing agent, not remove it.

Glasses washed in iron rich water (think well water in a remote location) will retain an iron-like odor. Priming the glasses won't remove it. The glasses require rewashing. Ditto, glasses dried with an old dishtowel that end up smelling of mildew. I've experienced both of these situations.

I still can't see any benefit, or even appeal, beyond the "ooh ahh" factor.