I have recently bought some new wine glasses to replace some that have been broken. I tend to buy glasses when I see one I like: none of mine match ( I like an eclectic look!). My lovely Riedel Burgundy glasses were a gift, however one was broken so only 3 remain of the original set.
I made a mistake by buying, online, some beautiful Danish glasses (similar to one previously bought in Copenhagen and subsequently broken). When they arrived, they were tiny! I did not read the full description and therefore did not realise they were more like sherry glasses. However, we used them to drink a delicious noble Riesling pudding wine – and they were perfect. This lead me to think about using the appropriate glass for various wines, but considering that this may be too complicated.
I must say that drinking wine from nice thin elegant wine glasses, does make a difference. Or does it? Is that just in my mind? Does the design of the wine glass, size of the “bowl”, the stem, the width of the top, the glass itself affect the taste of the wine?
It is popular now to use stemless glasses. Great for the garden as they are more stable, but there is a reason for the more traditional stemmed glass, for white wine especially. By holding the glass by the stem, and not around the bowl, you are not warming the wine with your hand, so it keeps fresh and cool. This is not so bad for red wines, so stemless glasses are an option.
The “bowl” of the wine glass is the important part: fill the glass up to the widest part of the bowl – whichever colour wine you are drinking and whichever glass you are using. This will ensure that the wine is exposed as much as possible to air and will “open out*” – ie the aromas in the wine will arise as you swirl the wine around the glass and you can appreciate it best. You will then have enough space to swirl without spilling! BUT…if you want to keep smelling the aromas from delicate wines, you need a narrower top to your glass.
Red wine needs more contact with air to allow the aromas and flavours to develop – and this is known as “opening up” or “opening out”. For this reason, the red wine glasses have larger bowls. Wine glasses are designed especially for a particular grape variety and style of wine. If you prefer and drink a particular wine more than any other, then buying the relevant shape glass is a nice idea – however, if you like to drink a variety and like to experiment, then a wine glass that is universal is fine. White wine glasses are generally smaller in height and bowl size when compared with red wine glasses; this allows you to get your nose closer to the aromas which are much lighter.
Below is a table that shows the type of glass recommended for different wine types, and the reasons why
| Bordeaux / Cabernet / Merlot Red Wine Glasses | Tall glass with a solid base. Long, wide bowl tapering slightly at the top | Allows oxygen to contact the wine bringing out the flavours of fruit, and ensuring the wine is smooth as the tannins soften |
| Syrah / Shiraz / Sangiovese / Malbec Red Wine Glasses | Shorter wine glass with a smaller, more elongated bowl, tapering slightly at the top | Some medium to full-bodied red wines have harsher flavours, tannins and spice. This glass will trap the aromas, and as it only allows you to drink more slowly, the taste becomes softer as the tannins are softened. |
| Burgundy / Pinot Noir Red Wine Glasses | The widest and shortest of the most commonly used red wine glasses is designed for Burgundy and Pinot Noir, with a wide bowl, tapering to a narrow top | The wide bowl collects the bold aromas, and the larger surface area allows more oxygen to contact the wine, opening it out. This helps to concentrate the delicate aromas in these wines and the bright, rich fruit flavours These intense flavours then can be swept across your tongue as you drink from this style glass. |
| Chardonnay/Viognier | Chardonnay glasses have a large long with a wider top, similar but slightly smaller to the Burgundy / Pinot Noir glass. | This larger bowl allows for a big surface area to be created, ideal for full-bodied white wines such as oak-aged Chardonnay. |
| White Burgundy | Smaller but similar in shape to the Pinot Noir glass | The wide bowl and narrow rim concentrates the aromas and allowing maximum oxygen contact with the wine ensures these creamy white wines reveal all their subtle complexities and offset rich fruit concentration. This glass is often confused with the Chardonnay glass. |
| Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling | A mid to long stem with a narrow bowl that tapers slightly at the top; the bowl is usually thin | The smaller bowl makes it easier to smell the concentrated aromas in the wine whilst minimising the amount of oxygen in the glass. Younger, fresh wines need a narrow rim to concentrate the highly aromatic “nose” . The bowl size allows the wine to stay colder than the large bowls used for reds |
| Sparkling | The flute is the most popular – although wine enthusiasts prefer a white wine or universal glass which enable more of the intense aromas to be detected. | The narrow shape of the Champagne flute keeps the fruit and potential yeasty aromas in the glass, but also allows the bubbles to remain fresh and flow longer than in a Champagne coupe / saucer. |
| Fortified | Small glass with smaller bowl and narrow top | Higher alcohol wines need a smaller bowl to reduce the alcohol evaporation. It also concentrates the rich fruity, complex aromas |
