Tea at Trianon: Which Glass for Which Drink?

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Sunday, July 2, 2017

Which Glass for Which Drink?

From Kevin Lee Jacobs:

Red wine goblets. These have large, balloon-shaped bowls. The design permits the swirling and aerating of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir, and other red wines. You can find such glasses at better kitchen-supply stores, or purchase them in sets from Amazon.

Unlike their red wine colleagues, white wine goblets have a fairly narrow bowl and an extra-long stem. The small surface area slows oxidation of the wine, while allowing its subtle scents (a/k/a “notes”) to escape upwards towards the nose. White wine glasses should always be held by the stem. Otherwise, your hand will warm the wine. Pictured above: a set of 4 Paksh Italian White Wine Goblets, $19.95 from Amazon.

Champagne flutes have a long, narrow body and a tiny mouth. Confined this way, bubbles do not dissipate too quickly. (Who wants flat Champagne or Prosecco?)Flutes are inexpensive and easy to find at department stores and kitchen supply stores. (Read more.)