THAT huge and sociable clan, the Harilelas, were hosts to an unusual wine-tasting at their opulent Kowloon Tong mansion with its 40 amahs, the other night. About 100 guests from the territory's hotels were invited to sample the grape from differently-designed glasses to see whether their bouquets and tastes differed.
The event was organised by Raju Harilela's Restaurant Management Consultants company, which is promoting a range of crystal cut 'containers' which are scientifically designed to deliver the wine so that it is appreciated in the best possible way.
Georg Riedel, an Austrian entrepreneur behind the concept, explained that different wines and cognacs had different aromas and tastes which should be delivered to the nose and tongue in a specific way in order to be properly enjoyed.
'There is an ideal glass for each major grape variety which will reveal its unique character,' he said. 'Enjoying wine is a two-stage experience: first the smell, then the taste. In a good wine, there is not just one aroma but several complex layers. Put a great wine in a small glass, fill it to the brim and you won't appreciate any of its depth and complexity.' Mr Riedel, whose company has been making glasses for 200 years, added that what you taste in a wine depends on where it lands on the tongue. If it hits the tip first, it will accentuate the sweetness. If it lands in the middle, it will accentuate its natural acidity or sharpness.
Mr Riedel said his glasses were designed to throw forward a wine's best points; their lips deliver the wine to the correct part or parts of the tongue in a smooth, fluid action which factory-made glasses could not achieve.
In that he was backed up by Michael Mondavi, owner of a vineyard in California's Napa Valley. He said his father was converted to the concept six years ago after tasting his own Cabernet Reserve in different glasses. He found that in Riedel glasses it was smoother and fruitier. There is, however, one problem with all this. The glasses, some of which are large enough to carry a bottle and a half of wine, though not designed to do so, are fragile instruments which require careful cleaning.
