Storage methods for odour-free glasses

We were sharing a special bottle with friends at home. One of us thought the wine was corked, but only one glass of it smelt that way. Is it because that glass had been stored upside down on a timber shelf?

With all the talk we hear about whether certain wine varieties taste better when drunk from glasses shaped like tulips or funnels or inflated Cretan goat bladders, it's easy to overlook the basics. Given a choice of drinking wine from a freshly washed Vegemite jar or a crystal goblet that has been stored for months in the pantry near the spice rack, there's a case to be made for the Vegemite jar.

Some people believe that microscopic surface differences between crystal and ordinary glass make crystal more prone to picking up unwanted smells. But any kind of glass can get whiffy if it's stored with smelly things, and that will affect the flavour of your wine. If the cupboard in which the glasses are stored is musty, or smells of commercial cleaning compounds, your wine glasses may acquire that scent.

To really exaggerate that cupboard smell - whether it's White King or eau de rodent - store your wine glasses upside down.

Worried they'll get dusty if they're right way up? It's only a problem if you leave them too long between washes, or on an open shelf. (Or if you're living at home while renovating and your life is filled with dust and misery anyway.) Consider it good housekeeping to use your wine glasses several times a week. If you have a lot of wine glasses, rotate them so that they all get a regular wash, or invite lots of friends over, often.

If things haven't been that social for you lately and you're about to have wine-drinking friends around, get out the ''stems'' before your guests turn up. Hold them up to a strong light and have a good look and sniff (the glasses, not the guests).

If you're in any doubt, thoroughly rinse the glasses in warm water, using a little detergent only if really necessary. Polish with a clean, lint-free cloth - linen is good. The tea towel you used to wipe the cutting board does not count as a clean cloth. Nor does anything that has been washed with fabric softener, which - like detergent - can leave traces on glass, potentially affecting flavour and inhibiting the bubbles in sparkling wine. Get a new cloth from the drawer and get polishing.

Are you struck with wine angst? Contact our Agony Aunt at epicure@theage.com.au