Abstract:
A wine glass having a bowl with a protrusion on the inner surface of the bottom end. The wine glass may aerate and enhance the bouquet of wine contained therein while providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The protrusion may also include a hole to allow wine to flow therethrough for further aeration.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present application relates to a wine glass configured to enhance the aeration of wine. 
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    Numerous wine glasses have been developed for the drinking and tasting of wine. Some of these glasses are designed to enhance the bouquet of the wine. Riedel™ has developed wine glasses where the bowl is shaped to match a particular type of wine, as discussed in the “Background” section of U.S. Publication No. 2003/0189055. 
         [0003]    Beverage containers have been made having various centrally disposed protrusions, frequently for artistic or visual effect, such as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,028,035; Des. 405,316; Des. 363,854; and Des. 343,990. Protrusions have also been used to improve the mixing action of shakers for preparing mixed drinks, for instance, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,208,431. 
         [0004]    More recently, protrusions have been employed in wine tasting vessels to increase the release of the bouquet of a wine as a sample of wine in the vessel is swirled, as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,644,846 and 6,409,374. 
         [0005]    These patents teach a protrusion having a platform which extends across the top of the protrusion and is described as extending to and continuing down the side, forming what might be viewed as a vertical rib or fin protruding from the protrusion. This protrusion is employed in combination with a rib on the interior surface of the vessel positioned opposite the platform, to constrict the flow of the swirled liquid in order to provide a venturi effect to promote release of the bouquet. This geometry would appear to provide most of the disturbance beneath the surface and, unless the swirling were very violent, would not notably aerate the wine, thereby limiting the effectiveness in enhancing the bouquet. Furthermore, the rib is an integral part of the sidewall of the glass and thus interferes with the visual observation of the clarity and color to the wine which contributes to the tasting experience. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. Publication No. 2006/0032855 shows a bouquet enhancing wineglass that has a central circular or spiral protrusion extending vertically into the bowl of the glass. This publication teaches a protrusion that takes up a large portion of the volume of the bowl and may extend from the center of the liquid, disrupting the aesthetic appearance. 
         [0007]    Thus, there is a need for a wineglass which is effective in aerating and enhancing the bouquet of the wine contained therein while providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
       [0008]    The present application relates to a wine glass configured to enhance the aeration of wine. 
         [0009]    In accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention, a drinking glass may comprise a bowl having a top end and a bottom end. The bowl can have an opening at the top end and a conically shaped protrusion integrally formed on an interior surface of the bottom end thereof. The protrusion may be formed such that when the bowl is moved the protrusion creates turbulence to increase oxygen flow to enhance aeration of the wine. 
         [0010]    In accordance with other embodiments of the present invention a wine glass may comprise a bowl having a top end and a bottom end. The bowl can have an opening at the top end and a conically shaped protrusion integrally formed on an interior surface of the bottom end thereof. The protrusion may have at least one hole extending therethrough. The protrusion may be formed such that when the bowl is moved the protrusion creates turbulence to increase oxygen flow to enhance aeration of the wine. 
         [0011]    The invention may be embodied by numerous other devices and methods. The description provided herein, when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses examples of the invention. Other embodiments, which incorporate some or all steps as taught herein, are also possible. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  shows a front view of a wine glass as may be employed in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  shows a top view of the wine glass of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  shows a front view of a wine glass as may be employed with other embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  shows a top view of the wine glass of  FIG. 3 ; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  shows a front view of a wine glass as may be employed in accordance with still other embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    The present invention provides an aeration wine glass that enhances the flavors of the wine when the wine is swirled. 
         [0018]    For example, when sampling wine, by swirling the wine glass, the taster mildly agitates the wine to enhance the bouquet of the wine before it is sampled. The agitation is accomplished by swirling the wine glass roughly in a horizontal plane and imparting an essentially circular motion. This motion results in the wine being carried up the sides of the glass. When the swirling is stopped, the wine settles back. This motion of the surface of the wine relative to the air captive in the glass enhances transfer of the bouquet of the wine to the air, which in turn increases the flavor perceived by the taster upon tasting the wine. The present application allows for greater aeration of the wine than a normal wine glass would allow. 
         [0019]    Referring initially to  FIGS. 1-2 , the wine glass  10  includes a bowl  12 , a stem  14 , and a foot  16 . The bowl has an opening  18  at the top end for drinking. The bowl has a protrusion  20  at the bottom end, above where the stem  14  meets the bowl  12 . In the example, the protrusion  20  is generally conically shaped with a rounded top surface; however, other shapes (e.g., circular, oval, square, rectangular, star, etc.) may be used. Although only one protrusion  20  is shown, any number of protrusions may be provided to enhance aeration. 
         [0020]    As the wine is swirled by the taster, the liquid is forced to flow around the protrusion  20 , thus creating turbulence to enhance the flow of oxygen to aerate the wine. 
         [0021]    In accordance with other embodiments of the present application, as seen in  FIGS. 3-4 , the wine glass  310  may include a protrusion  320  having a hole  322 . The hole  322  may extend through the protrusion  320  to form a generally tubular bore. Hole  322  can allow the wine to flow therethrough. Consequently, as the wine is swirled by the taster, not only may turbulence be created by the protrusion  320 , but the wine can also travel through the hole  322  to further enhance aeration. 
         [0022]      FIG. 5  shows another embodiment of the present invention in which multiples holes  522  can be used. In the example of  FIG. 5 , the protrusion  520  has multiple holes  522   a, b, c  which extend parallel to each other. Although the holes extend parallel to one another in this example, other arrangements may be used. For example, any number of holes may be used and these holes can be arranged perpendicular and/or diagonal to each other, such as by intersecting at one or more points. 
         [0023]    It is noted herein above that this invention contemplates any number of holes to allow for aeration of the wine. Moreover, although the holes are shown as being horizontal, they can alternatively extend at an angle to the horizontal plane, so that gravity assists with the aeration process. 
         [0024]    The wine glass described herein above can be composed of any suitable materials, but is preferably composed of glass, plastic, metal, or lead crystal. The bowl and the stem can be made as one integral piece or can be designed as two detachable pieces for easier storage. Although the present invention is discussed with respect to wine, any liquid can be placed inside the bowl. 
         [0025]    The shape of the bowl may be altered to suit the liquid that is placed inside. Traditionally, white wine is served in narrower glasses with an approximately cylindrical shaped bowl, and red wine is served in wider glasses with an approximately spherical shaped bowl. Champagne is typically served in a glass called a flute, which has a narrower and taller bowl than that used for white wine. A traditional wine glass has convex sides, which allows for the glass to be wider at the base to improve the wine-air interface, and narrower at the top to concentrate the aromas to the nose of the taster. The bowl of this invention may have a range of shapes including spherical and cylindrical, and may have convex sides, concave sides, or straight sides. The protrusion and hole(s) can improve the aeration, so that even in a glass that is narrower at the bottom of the bowl, the air-wine interface may be greater. 
         [0026]    While the present invention is described with respect to particular examples and preferred embodiments, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to these examples and embodiments. The present invention as claimed therefore includes variations from the particular examples and preferred embodiments described herein, as will be apparent to one of skill in the art.