Tastevin 'Henri Maire 1632' Silver plated

A historic tool used in wine making and wine tasting, the Tastevin is a small, silver cup or saucer. The cup has traditionally been used to assess the color, clarity, and maturity of wine. Have you ever wondered why the sommelier in a fancy restaurant often wears what appears to be a silver ashtray around his neck? It’s actually quite a historic item. Two hundred years or more ago, cellarmasters in Burgundy in France (where a very high-level wine society is called the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin) developed this cup to sample wine down in the cellar where it was dark, lit only by candles. The angular nooks and crannies in the shiny silver cup are designed to catch and reflect the light to make it easier to check the color and clarity of the wine.

This Tastevin I have for sale is silver plated, stamped with the letters R C and the word France, and it is also embossed with the name of Henri Maire 1632 together with an embossed village scene, probably from the Jura region. Domaine Henri Maire has been nestled in the Jura, a wine region in eastern France between Burgundy in the east and Switzerland in the west, since 1632. Founded by a Henry Maire, for over 300 years, generations of Maires succeeded one another, strengthening the Maison’s expertise. For Domaine Henri Maire, the “Path to Gold” is an initiation to the richness and diversity of Jura wines. Size: `8.5 x 11.3 x h 2cm. Weight: 41 grms. Postage from France included.