Eisch Breathable Wine Glasses

Salutation to one and all!

Thanks for taking the time to skim over my blog.  Hopefully you have both the time and desire to read it.  And should you choose to read on, it's my sincerest hope that you take something with you when you are done and that it has been time well spent.

Today?  I'd like to offer my opinion of the "Breathable Glass" by Eisch Glaskultur of Germany.

Eisch Glaskultur Wine Glass

"What is a 'breathable glass'?"  "What's the significance?"  "Why is it needed?"  "Does it work?"  "Does Chucky recommend it?"  Geez... You sure have allot of questions.

First, let us understand "breathing" or "decanting" or "aeration".  It's the process of mixing air with freshly opened wine to smooth the tannins thereby reducing the "puckerness" and youth of the wine.  Remember, some grape varietals are simply best served when allowed time to "breathe".  Other wines are not suited for the process.  Typically, a white wine or effervescent red wine should not need decanting (-aka- breathing -aka- aeration).

I've drank some so-so wines that have became extraordinary when I have permitted time to pass and the wine to breathe.  Which wines need decanting versus those which do not is about as perplexing as how long to decant a particular wine.  How long I decant a particular bottle may be entirely different than how long you decant the very same wine.  And, neither of us are right or wrong.  It's an acquired personal preference.  

Trust me... The next time that you uncork a "so-so" bottle of wine, do yourself a favor and allow it to sit, rest and breathe for awhile.  You will be amazed the difference in taste!  However... no amount of decanting will take a bad wine (tastes like vinegar) and make it drinkable.  It's not a cure-all.

So, now that I have you muddled in decanting (breathing) wine.  How to accomplish this purported spectacular feat?  It's simple and can be accomplished using many methods.  I believe there to be two extremes of the decanting spectrum:  from simply allowing the bottle to sit unopened to the use of a Vinturi device.  The first taking the most time.  Can you sit around and simply stare at an opened bottle of wine with required patience?  I can't.  The latter (a Vinturi) expedites the breathing process and "forces" air into the wine.

Vinturi in Action

Then there are the "in between" methods.  Ever wonder why they sell wine decanters?  Those sometimes beautiful glass containers to pour your wine into before serving.  Ever notice that wine decanters come in every shape and size and price imaginable?  It boils down to simply physics actually.  The greater the surface area where the wine contacts the air, the more productive the breathing process.  A wine decanter with a larger circumference will be more productive per hour in the decanting/breathing process than a lesser vessel.

Eisch Breathable Cabernet Sauvignon Glasses

Then there is the Eisch Breathable wine glass.  According to Eisch, just 2 to 4 minutes in the glass equates to 1 to 2 hours of decanting and aeration!  But, is this true?  

Tiffany and I own a decanter, a Vinturi and the Eisch glasses.  All three work but in slightly different manners and with different time versus aeration results.  I typically do not run into many wines that require decanting but when I do, I typically grab the Vinturi if simply for convenience.

The Eisch glass?  Yes... It truly works.  Tiffany and I have blind tested wines using Vinturi versus Eisch glass versus nothing.  There really is a noticeable difference when using the Eisch glass (and the Vinturi).

So much so that we've purchased additional glasses as gifts for our fellow wine connoisseur and friends.  Even the man who turned us into vino affectionados... our wine instructor!  He was the one who turned us into two people know absolutely nothing about wine to people who can now walk into a wine store and know what they are buying.  I would venture to guess that Tiffany and I have sampled over 200 to 300 different bottles of wine by now.  And, from all over the world and all of the predominant wine growing regions.

As described on the Eisch packaging:

"New Oxygenising - Treatment.  A wine poured into a Breathable Glass for just 2 to 4 minutes will show signs of aeration equivalent to the same wine that has been decanted and aerated for 1 to 2 hours.  This fully natural process takes place within the wine itself, just in minutes.  The original character and structure of the wine are preserved, yet the wine's aroma and palate impression become more open and generous, just as they would with an hour or more of aeration.  In addition to wine, Breathable Glasses can also lead to improvements with spirits, fruit juices, and mineral water."

Yes ~ If you can find the glasses at a reasonable cost, it's my opinion that it would be a dollar well spent.  It can honest make a mediocre wine taste as deserving as Mother Earth had intended.  After all, that vine sacrificed its youth (grapes) so that you might enjoy the fruits of the vintner's labor.

Hi-dee hi-dee do-not-overlook-the-wine-gadgets-ho my friends!