All too often we are faced with the dilemma of which type of wine glass to use for red, white or champagne. Wine glasses come in various shapes, sizes, colors and styles and making sure you use the proper glass for your special occasion is much simpler than you think.
Appropriately called stemware (glasses with stems), the etiquette for pouring a good wine into the proper glass makes all the difference. It seems to be that wine is tastier in a glass that is elegant and stylish. A good wine should always be poured in a clear glass. Although those pretty colored wine glasses that are in your china cabinet may look great, they interfere in the true color of the wine and your subliminal palette.
Wine Glass Size and Shape
The taste of wine seems to change depending on the type of wine glass you are drinking from. Therefore, it is important to get the most out of the flavor of your wine and by choosing the correct wine glass to serve the wine in makes the difference. Three aspects of proper wine glass selection are taken into consideration: the glass size, the shape and the thickness of the the glass.
When choosing wine glasses,the glass should be plain and clear. Part of the enjoyment of a good wine is appreciation of it's color. The color of the wine portrays a lot of information about the wine, giving clues to the grapes used, the age of the wine, and so on. Hence, wine glasses that are colored or frosted, or worse still solid materials such as pewter or silver, are useless and can effect the drinkers true enjoyment of the wine.
For red and white wine, a larger glass (such as the stemware pictured to the right) is required to swirl the wine around releasing its aroma and enhancing the drinking experience. Small wine glasses are used for sherry or dessert wines, which have stronger aromas and do not have the need for aroma release.
Stemware made of very thin, fine crystal costs a lot more than normal glasses, but for some reason the wine tastes so much better! Many people do not use their expensive stemware and stores like TJMaxx and HomeGoods offer a wonderful selection of glasses that are both whimsical and affordable.
The shape of the bowl also matters. Some wine glasses have very round bowls, while others have more elongated, somewhat narrower bowls. The bowl should be large enough to allow for easy pouring and enough room to swirl the wine. Bowls that are oval-shaped and are much more narrow at the mouth are ideal for red wines such as Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, Chiantis and Zinfandels. Other red wines such as Burgundies, Pinot Noirs and Barolos are best suited in wider bowl glasses. Whichever size or shape that you choose correlates to the glass's shape and flow control of the wine onto your tongue.
Sparking Wine: tulips, flutes and trumpets
Lastly, we discuss that fine, sparking bubbly Champagne. Sparkling wine can also be included in this category and deciding which type of glass to use for this unique wine is also an issue. Fortunately, the same type of stemware is used for Champagne and Sparkling wine. The stemware that is utilized for this beverage is known as tulip, flute and/or trumpet (pictured below).
The tulip is the ideally shaped glass for Champagne and other sparkling wines. It is tall, elongated and narrower at the rim than in the middle of the bowl. This shape helps hold the bubbles in the wine longer, not allowing them to escape.
The flute is another good sparkling wine glass; but it is less ideal than the tulip because it does not narrow at the mouth.
The trumpet actually widens at the mouth, making it less desirable for sparkling wine but very elegant looking. Another drawback of the trumpet glass is that, depending on the design, the wine can actually fill the whole stem, which means the wine warms up from the heat of your hand.
A good wine is as good as the glass it is served in. Choose a glass that will fit your style and comfort and enjoy its flavor to the fullest. Salut!
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