Vino2 Aerating Glass from Taste of Purple -- Full Review

Taste of Purple was kind enough to send me their Vino2 aerating glass to review. You might have seen the quick and dirty review I dashed off in which I tasted a delicious Oregon Pinot Noir from The Pressing Plant in the Vino2 and in a Riedel Vinum Burgundy glass. I have since done several more side-by-side comparisons and here is my full report.

To cut to the chase, if big bold wines are your thing, this might just be the glass for you! You might also consider the other aerating glass options from Taste of Purple.

To review, the Vino2 wine glass ($39) from Taste of Purple promises to fully aerate wine rapidly, so there is no need to decant a wine to reach its full potential: "The patented design of the VINO2 will fully aerate your wine in just seconds, releasing the components that make up a wines aroma." With the Oregon Pinot, the wine in the Vino2 was silkier but less spicy than when tasted from the Riedel. Which is "better" is a matter of personal preference.

The next wine we tried was a 2012 Pinot Gris from Navarro. The glass on the right is the Vino2. On the left is a glass manufactured by Stölzle. We've owned it so long I have no memory of its price or any other characteristics. In the Stölzle the Pinot Gris showed aromas of stone fruit, jasmine, vanilla and honeysuckle. The wine had bright acid, a textured palate and a long finish. From the Vino2 we picked up less stone fruit, more vanilla, and citrus cream. The wine was similar on the palate but less tart and less textured. The finish was as long. We preferred the wine out of the Stölzle.

Next we tried a 1995 Sagrantino Montefalco from Colpetrone. Sagrantino, in case you are unfamiliar with it, is a grape native to Umbria. It is a rare creature that produces big, tannic wines that age beautifully. The comparison glass on the right is another we have owed for some time. It appears to have been made by a company known as OZ. I have no other information.

In the OZ the Colpetrone showed restrained aromatics, intensity on the palate and little fruit. The wine had a pleasantly soft texture with just a bit of grip and a lovely finish. In the Vino2 the wine had a sharper focus on the attack, more spice and a tight finish. We preferred the Vino2.

Our final comparison was with the Seavey 2007 Chardonnay, a wine that I made. The comparison glass was once again the Riedel Vinum Burgundy. In the Vino2 we got aromas of straw, hay, cut grass, citrus and jasmine. The wine was soft, rich and full on the palate with creamy oak and hints of pear. In the Riedel the aromas were similar but less grassy. The creamy oak came through with a bit more of a bite. Once again, a draw.

The Vino2 clearly influences the perception of the wine. Whether that influence is to the good depends largely on the style of wine. A big bold red wine is the perfect match for this glass, and will seem bigger and bolder but also more approachable from it. For other wine styles, the differences are less compelling. Enjoy!

Have you tried the Vino2? We would love to hear your thoughts.
The Vino2 was sent by Taste of Purple for the purpose of this review. All of the wines mentioned were from my personal collection and were not provided by the producers.

Rosa D'Oro Vineyards

Rosa D'Oro Vineyards specializes in Italian varieties in Lake County, California. Their unusual lineup of wines and their reasonable prices made us curious to try the wines. The winery was kind enough to send us some, and we were quite pleased.

A Lake County Vineyard in the Spring. Courtesy of an anonymous Wikipedia contributor who has donated the image to the public domain.

 

The Muscat Canelli (dry!), $16, is as dry as advertised. This is an unusual sort of wine to find from California. Most California Muscats that are not overtly styled as dessert wines are at least off-dry. That is a real shame as the grape can really shine when made into a dry wine. The aromatics entice--and lead the taster to expect a sweet, floral and fruity wine--and the dryness on the palate is a refreshing surprise. Our archetype for this style is Alsatian Muscats, which are usually made from a different though related grape, Muscat Ottonel. Mendocino County's Navarro Vineyards produces a dry Muscat that is a dead ringer for the Alsatian style.

The Rosa D'Oro dry Muscat is something else again. The aromatics are relatively tame for a Muscat, but the wine is explosively delicious on the palate, with an almost honey-like texture. We enjoyed this before, during and after a dinner of Ma Po Tofu, a spicy dish typically served with beer. The wine worked as aperitif, accompaniment and digestif, and maintained its delicious character throughout.

We also enjoyed the Rosa D'Oro Dolcetto, $18. This is another variety not widely grown in the US. This wine is a true Dolcetto but we found it more approachable than many Italian versions, which can be hard--overly tannic and acidic. But the wine was not overripe, which would make it too fat or soft. The tannins are just right, giving the wine a grippy mouthfeel, and are sufficient to see the wine through several years' aging. The wine tastes almost sweet at first, with notes of blueberry and blackberry, and the finish is quite pleasant.

We are eager to try the winery's other offerings, especially the Aglianico and the Refosco. These varieties are even less widely grown in the US than Dolcetto, and we look forward to seeing what Rosa D'Oro can do with them.

Lake County itself is something of an enigma viticulturally. These wines demonstrate its great potential, and we may just have to take an investigative field trip to learn more.