Introduction
Does the right wine glass matter? In a word, yes.. The wine glass you drink from can make all the difference. The wine glass itself is actually an essential part of your drinking experience, this is simply because different wines are best served in different glasses. It’s important to understand the differences and to choose the right glass for the type of wine you wish to drink. Have you been doing it wrong this whole time? Read on to find out more..
The right wine glass DOES matter
Having the right wine glass when drinking wine does matter. It matters a lot! There are many different types of wine glasses, each have been designed with their own specific characteristics and uses for the wine you are drinking. Did you know that the wine glass design can affect how you perceive the wine you are drinking? It can enhance the taste of the wine, the smell, and even the appearance of the wine. For example, a large bowl is best for red wines, a medium sized bowl is best for white wines, and a small saucer shaped glass is best for dessert wines. We’ve gone into more detail below to help you on how to pick the right wine glass for each type of wine.
Red wine glass shape
A red wine glass usually has a narrower mouth and a deeper bowl than a white wine glass. It also has an elongated stem, which makes it taller than its white counterpart. The purpose of the deeper tapered bowl shape of the glass is to trap in the aromas of the red wine. The rounded shape of the glass also makes it easier to swirl the wine without spillage. Swirling the wine helps with the aeration of the wine, this is important for red wine as the aeration helps to open up the bold aromas and flavours. The tapered rim of a red wine glass is also sharper at the edge, this also helps to trap in the lovely aromas for longer once released.
White wine glass shape
The white wine glass has a wider mouth, is usually shorter in stature and has much more of a straight, linear bowl shape than a red wine glass. The straight design and wider mouth of the white wine glass helps to increase Aeration of the wine. White wines are generally a lot more acidic than reds and aeration of white wines helps to reduce the acidity, making for a more pleasurable drinking experience.
Sparkling wine glass & Champagne Flutes
Sparkling wine glasses and champagne flutes are perhaps the most unique and easily recognisable glasses of the lot. There are 3 main types but the most popular type (the flute) will have a tall, slim, conical shaped bowl with a narrow mouth. This shape reduces the overall surface area of the glass and allows bubbles to release and rise freely. The shape of the glass also prevents the carbonation from dissipating too quickly which would result in making your drinking experience not as good as what it could be. As we know, the more bubbles the better!
Drinking champagne or sparkling wine involves all the senses, the exciting visual appearance of the bubbles rushing up the glass, to the popping and fizzing sounds as the bubbles form at the top, to the texture of the fizzy liquid on the tongue, make sure you pick the right glass for this one. The 3 different types of champagne glasses are…
- Champagne Flute – This is the most common shaped glass for champagne, a tall slender glass & stem with a slight inwards curvature to a narrow mouth
- Tulip Shaped – The tulip shaped glass is of course shaped like the flower itself. It is a bit shorter than the flute, with a wider mouth and a more rounded bowl shape.
- The Coupe – The Coupe is another popular choice for drinking champagne or sparkling wine, it is a very short glass with a round bowl shape deeper than most glasses it will also have a very wide mouth to the glass.
How to choose the right wine glass
We hope you now have a good understanding of the different kinds of wine glasses and their uses. Some of the wine lovers amongst you may already have known some of this information, or perhaps this is new ground, and you have never given the glass a second thought. We wish to have been informative for you, but lets not make it over complex, to simplify, we think when making decisions on what wine glasses to buy, your decision should be made with these three considerations in mind
What are you drinking?
Most Importantly, sip the right drink, from the right glass. As mentioned above the glass affects your drinking experience. Buy the glass that best suits what you intend to drink.
What are your preferences?
Are you searching for something simple, classy and elegant? Or do you want something fun, decorative and quirky? Your choice may simply come down to the glass you prefer the look of for your bar.
Budget?
What is your budget? You must also consider the costs of your glassware, are your glasses for every day use or are they special occasion glasses only? This may also influence your decision.
What is the purpose of stemless wine glasses?
A stemless wine glass will have the same bowl shape as their stemmed counterparts, but they are much shorter in stature because they have no stem or base. Does wine glass shape matter in this case? Of course it still matters. They can be viewed as being a little bit more practical than the usual stemmed wine glass because they are not as delicate, they can be stacked together and will also fit into a dishwasher much easier.
However, when drinking from a stemless glass there is no way to hold the glass other than by the bowl itself, but why do you hold a wine glass by the stem?. The reason for this is to ensure you do not affect the temperature of the wine by transferring your body heat into the glass through your hands, with a stemless wine glass there is of course no way to avoid this.
If your just looking for a casual drink glass though however these glasses will make a good alternative option. Due to not having the delicate stem, they are durable enough to be taken outside when dining alfresco, yet they will not look out of place on a formal dinner table.
Stemless Red
Stemless Wine
Stemless Flutes
Conclusion
Enjoy your wine drinking! We think we have provided you with enough information on how to get maximum enjoyment when drinking your wine. The products we have listed throughout the article are what we believe to be some of the best wine glasses out there to suit a variety of uses, styles and budgets.
Not a Wine drinker? Check our other article on Whiskey glasses here.
If your perhaps looking for glasses that are a little more personalized click here.
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