How To Do A Comparative Tasting With The
"Breathable Glass"

Picking A Glass

It is recommended that you use the same size, shape, and model of Eisch glass for this comparison; one the "standard" glass, the other "breathable". We recommend using glasses from our Superior line.

If a "standard" glass is not available, use a glass from another manufacturer that is as close in shape, size, and volume to the "breathable glass" as possible.

Note: The glasses should be cleaned the same way: by hand and rinsed in clear warm water.

Every Breathable Glass has a specific sandblasting mark (wave) at the bottom.

Selecting A Wine (Or Other Beverage)

The affects of the "breathable glass" are most evident with young red wines and white wines; those which typically benefit from at least 30 minutes of aeration before being consumed. The impact is most dramatic with high quality wines, not inexpensive jug or box wines.

But the "breathable glass" works with other beverages, including spirits and juices. Try different beverages in the "breathable glass" and compare them with the same beverage in a "standard glass". (Make sure that the package or bottle always is opened right before the tasting, since beverages already well-exposed to oxygen will show little change in the "breathable glass".)

Making The Comparison

As stated above, the comparison works best when the bottle is opened right before the tasting.

Pour the same quantity of wine in both glass, then wait for between 2 and 4 minutes.

Then taste the two. First, smell the aromas of each. Immediately, small differences should be noticeable. Then, take a sip from one glass and evaluate it. Then the other glass. Then go back, and repeat the process (smell, then sip).

If you have time, you can follow the development of the wine in the "standard" or comparative glass, to see how long it takes before it tastes like the wine in the "breathable glass". (It frequently takes 60 minutes or more, depending on the type of wine.)

What Differences Do You See?

Everyone has slightly different taste perceptions.

In our experience, the "breathable glass" has a very noticeable impact on the smell and taste of wines, especially with young wines that benefit from 30 to 120 minutes of aeration after opening.

But with the "breathable glass", you don’t have to wait that long. Within 2 to 4 minutes, the glass alters the taste of wines poured into it, and makes it taste like it would after aerating it in a decanter for 2 hours or more.

In what ways? Generally, the wines become more harmonious in smell and taste. Wines with rough edges to them (in the form of noticeable acidity, tannin, or astringency) are softened and the wines’ flavors are enhanced.

Ronn Wiegand, Master of Wine and Master Sommelier in Napa Valley, California says that tasting young wines in the "breathable glass" is like "being able to taste wine in slow motion. The aroma is ‚spread out’ and its nuances are better highlighted and more obvious, while on the palate, the wine becomes more generous in flavor."

Not Only For Wines

The "breathable glass" works well with many other beverages. Spirits, especially that have been wood aged (Cognac, Scotch Whisky, Armagnac, Calvados), are enhanced by being served in "breathable glasses", as are fruit juices with pronounced acidity (orange, pineapple, lemon).