Wine Glasses

Wine is enjoyed by more than just the sense of taste, requiring the use of several human senses in order to appreciate such things as its color (sight), its layered bouquets (smell), the smoothness of its texture (touch) and of course, its wonderful flavors.

Additionally, the characteristics of any wine are greatly affected by the glass in which it is served. For example, white wines work best in a narrow glass, where the taper concentrates the beautiful aroma of the grapes. It is important to consider the sensory experience created by pairing a wine with the best serving vessel. This requires consideration of the type of wine, the temperature and the table setting.

Type of wine

Reds, whites and sparkling wines each require different styles of wine glasses, and each has its own particular method of pouring as well. Traditional reds and whites should be poured directly towards the center of the glass, and any sparkling wines must be poured along the edge or side of the glass to maintain the bubbles. Additionally, because red wines are notorious for leaving stains, and because it is unappealing to have the beverage drip from the end of the bottle, most wines are poured with a final “twist” of the bottle as it is being lifted away from the glass. This ensures that there are no drips of wine on linens or table tops. Also, it is important to never fill a wine glass more than two-thirds full in order to allow the vintage to be swirled and admired.

White wines, as stated, are best served in narrower wine glasses to concentrate the scent of their bouquet and flavor. Most often such glasses will be referred to as a “tulip” shape or even a “flute”. Red wines on the other hand, will require a roomier serving vessel, meaning a larger “bowl” to the glass. Red wine glasses are usually available in sizes meant to hold from ten to twenty ounces in order to provide ample room to swirl the fluid, and they too will have a taper towards the lip of the glass, but significantly less than white wine glasses.

Finally, sparkling wines are best served in the narrowest “flutes” which are very tall and thin glasses crafted to preserve the bubbles which bring such vintages their most notable characteristics.

Of course there are many “all purpose” wine glasses available, and most will hold around ten ounces, have a mid-sized bowl, slight taper and work for either a red or white wine, but generally are not suitable for sparkling wines. Additionally, there are stem-less wine glasses becoming more and more popular, but these must be used with care as they can affect the temperature of the wine simply because the glass is in direct contact with the drinker’s hand.

Temperatures

Some wines are best served at cooler temperatures, especially if any flaws or imperfections in their taste are to be hidden. This usually applies only to white or sparkling wines however, as chilling a red wine can actually allow any bitterness to be emphasized.

Basically, younger or inexpensive wines will require a temperature of forty-five to fifty degrees Fahrenheit, while the older, more expensive and red wines will be best served at sixty to sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit where their characteristics will be developed in a stronger and more distinctive manner.

Table Settings

A final factor in choosing wine glasses and serving wine, are table settings. Most hosts or hostesses will want their wine glasses to work well with the rest of the china or table ware in use, and a great place to search for the finest selections are at the many wine club websites. Here visitors can see the many popular, artisan or specialty wine glasses and decanters that will provide the best methods of serving and enjoying all kinds of wine.