You Need Glasses

Decisions, decisions. There is a lot of myth surrounding which glass to use with which wine, or if it even makes a difference. Here is a simple truth; almost every shape and style of glass will make a wine taste or smell different. But a glass is merely a vessel that can heighten and enhance the aromas and flavors in a wine – not necessarily make the wine smell or taste better.

It is universally accepted by wine experts that an appropriately sized and shaped wine glass will enhance the appreciation of wine. But let’s make one thing clear; stay away from colored stemware or anything that is etched or with facets. Half the experience is being able to see the color and clarity and swirl the wine effortlessly.

Wine’s appeal is not just its taste and smell, but also the visual aspect. The play of light on the wine, the “legs” and “tears” on the inner wall when you swirl the wine and the way aromas are captured within the wine glass and presented to your nose while drinking.

Then there is the question of glass vs. crystal. It really comes down to budget and preference more than anything else, but crystal allows the wine glass to be thinner and to have a more elegant feel. Glass is less expensive and easier to clean but there are now some “hybrids” available which take the lead out of crystal and replace it with titanium resulting in a more durable stemware.

So what about shapes? I personally think you can get away with three or four different styles instead of the nine or ten that’s being marketed in stores and on web sites. But one thing should be clear – choose a glass where the opening is smaller than the widest point of the bowl. This will keep the aromas in the glass making it easier to smell the wine.

Red Wine Glasses: The two most popular styles of red wine glasses are Bordeaux glasses and Burgundy glasses. Burgundy glasses have the largest bowl in order to accumulate aromas of more delicate wines such as pinot noir and Nebbiolo. This style of glass directs wine toward the tip of the tongue where there is more sensitivity to sweetness.
Bordeaux glasses are tall with a broad bowl and designed for full-bodied red wines like cabernet sauvignon and merlot. The shape allows for concentration of the aromas and proper oxygenation of more mature red wines and it directs wine to the back of the mouth.

White Wine Glasses: White wine glasses tend to vary greatly in size and shape. For bigger white wines, like chardonnays and viogniers, the Bordeaux style glasses described above will work fine. For lighter whites, a tulip-shaped stemmed glass is probably best.

Champagne Flute: A tall flute is a festive way to serve sparkling wines and Champagne. The surface encourages all those bubbles and the shape allows them to float to the top. With the bubbly, vapor is being constantly released so an inward tapered design helps concentrate the light aromas but is not necessary.
Fortified or Dessert Wine Glasses: Dessert and fortified wines such as sherry, port or Madeira are richer and more alcoholic thus they're better sipped from a small, well proportioned glass for a smaller pour. The inward taper focuses the intense aromas.

Stemless Glasses: I’m not a big fan of these Bordeaux-style glasses where the stem has been lopped off the bottom, but they are popular. It gives wine a slightly dressed-down appearance and performs virtually the same as a stemmed glass. However, the wine may warm up as the heat from your hand transfers to the glass. If all you’re using it for is a quick taste, fine, but not for long term enjoyment of a wine during dinner.