Which Wine Glass is Suitable for Your Favourite Wine?

 

Which wine glass is suitable for your favourite wine might not be a question for the ages—at least not any more.

Using the wrong wine glass for your daily tipple is not a crime, and in most circumstances, it will not change your enjoyment of your favourite wine.

If, however, you take your wine semi-seriously, you will probably already know that there are different wine glasses designed to bring out the individual characteristics of different wines.  Choosing the right wine glass can help you get the most from your wine.

Obviously, it is possible to drink wine out of absolutely anything that holds liquid, and while it is unlikely that most people will taste the difference between drinking their favourite wine from a coffee cup or a water glass, there will be a difference—however minuscule it might be.

Wine glasses are designed with two main practical purposes in mind: delivering the aromas to your nose and delivering the wine to the parts of your tongue that will accentuate its character—the wine, not your tongue.

I will start with red wine glasses and start with the one style that everyone has seen or at some point owned;

The Bordeaux

The Bordeaux wine glass is the tallest wine glass you will usually come across. It is designed this way to ensure that when you sample the aroma, there is enough oxygen between the wine and the rim to enable the tannins and alcohol vapours to dissipate sufficiently, showcasing the complex fruit characteristics.

It has a wide bowl to allow plenty of surface contact with oxygen, which encourages ethanol evaporation, and a wide rim that aids smoothness on the palate. This glass is ideal for all full-bodied red wines. If you are serious about choosing the right wine glass, the Bordeaux is a must-have for full-bodied reds.

The Pinot Noir Glass

The Pinot Noir glass has a noticeably broad bowl, which allows the aromas of these delicate wines to build up inside the glass. It also has a narrow rim to deliver the wine to the front of the palate, allowing you to savour each flavour nuance.

The Syrah Glass

The Syrah glass is essentially a standard red wine glass, designed for medium- to full-bodied wines and especially suited to red wines that may have a spicy note. It has a wide bowl to evaporate alcohol vapours and a narrow rim, which slows the flow of wine into the mouth, softening any spicy notes.

White Wine Glasses:

There are essentially two types of white wine glasses for dry whites.

Standard White Wine Glasses

A standard white wine glass is designed for light-bodied white wines. Typically, it has a narrower bowl and a narrower rim than a red wine glass. This helps to preserve delicate aromas and enables the acidity levels to remain intact, rather than being washed out by excess oxygen. The glass shape also helps maintain a low temperature, as does the long stem.

Wide Bowl White Wine Glass

The second type of white wine glass is designed for fuller-bodied white wines, such as an oaked Chardonnay or a Rioja Blanco. It has a wide bowl and a wide rim. The wide bowl softens smoky aromas, and the wide rim is perfectly suited to rich and buttery wines, directing the wine across the palate instead of concentrating it at the front of the mouth.

Riesling and Semi-Sweet/Sweet White Wine Glasses

Riesling and semi-sweet to sweet white wine glasses are smaller than a standard white wine glass to accommodate the higher intensity of flavours in these wines. These glasses have a reasonably wide bowl to allow space for complex aromas to develop, and a narrow rim to guide the wine to the middle of the mouth, softening the impact of the sweetness.

Sparkling and Dessert Wine Glasses:

Champagne Flute

Champagne flutes are designed for all sparkling wine types. These glasses have a long, narrow bowl to allow complex aromas and flavours to develop. A small bead at the bottom of the bowl encourages continuous upward movement of bubbles. A narrow rim keeps the carbonation active and directs aromas to the mouth.

Port Wine Glass

Port wine glasses have a narrow rim to reduce evaporation and direct the wine to the middle of the mouth, minimising an excessive explosion of sweetness. They typically have a narrow bowl to concentrate flavours and a slightly long body, which leaves room for swirling.

Sherry Glass

Sherry glasses can also double as dessert wine glasses. They are designed to be quite short, which suits the higher alcohol content of these wines. A reasonably broad base allows complex aromas and flavours to develop, there is enough height for swirling, and the narrow rim encourages the wine to the middle of the mouth, where the sweetness can be enjoyed gradually. These glasses are suitable for dry as well as sweet sherry, though a dry sherry could also be fine in a standard white wine glass.

Having a variety of different wine glasses in your cabinet allows you to experience all the nuances of the wine just as the maker intended. While you do not need to own a set of every wine glass type on the market, you should probably own the glasses that were designed for your favourite wine, cocktail, aperitif, or digestive. By knowing which wine glass to use and understanding choosing the right wine glass, you can enjoy your wine exactly as it was meant to be savoured.   

 

*wine glass images from riedel.com