Why Your Wine Tastes Better In The Right Glass
Does the shape of your glass affect the taste of the wine? Many wine experts and connoisseurs believe that it does. There are many different glasses for wine, each marketed to make the most of a particular type. Red wine drinkers favor a more globe shape while white wine devotees prefer a straighter vessel. Have you ever stopped to wonder why?
Let’s explore what stemware you should use with your favorite wine and if your choice of glass might make a good bottle of wine taste bad.
How To Properly Taste Wine
Many believe there is a right way to taste wine. Here are six steps to follow:
Tilt the glass and take a look to see the clarity and thickness of the wine, just for your own knowledge.
Give it a swirl. You'll want to swirl the glass while it’s sitting on the table so that you don’t spill any of the liquid.
Check for ‘legs’ or wine that makes trails down the sides of your glass. The more legs, the more alcohol and glycerin, which correlate with a big, full-bodied taste.
Pay attention to the smell. Give it a smell over the top of the glass and think about the flowers, herbs, spices, fruit, or plants that you might recognize. You might also notice woody or nutty smells from the wine barrel.
Sip, don’t slurp. Try to act like you’re moving the wine through a straw into your mouth, adding air as you go. Now is the time to think about what flavors you taste.
Enjoy the wine as normal.
The Glass Shape Can Make A Difference
If you combine the way we taste wine with the shape of the glass, the drinkware you choose certainly makes an impact on the enjoyment and flavor.
According to Reidel, makers of fine wine glasses since 1765, the shape of the glass places the wine in different areas of the mouth. Certain shapes might make the wine channel across the sides or encourage it to travel straight down the tongue to the back.
Increasing the surface area of the wine in the glass gives off more aroma, adding flavor with each sip. A glass with a nice wide bowl begins to narrow near the top, pushing the notes of the wine straight to your nose.
Red wine is considered full bodied, which means that it needs a bigger bowl to interact with the air and allow more of the aromas to release for maximum flavor. A smaller bowl works for white wine, bringing the drinker’s nose closer to the glass to catch some of the delicate notes.
Related: How Many Glasses Of Wine Are In A Bottle?
Different Types Of Wine Glasses
There are so many different types of wine glass options, which can make the experience for beginners a bit overwhelming. Keep in mind that there are more common glasses that can be used for several types of wine so you don't necessarily need to cramp your china cabinet.
Popular Options For Red Wine
Large Bordeaux glass has a generous bowl, great for Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Bordeaux blends, of course. Any red wine that’s considered bold in flavor works well in this glass.
Standard Red Wine glass is perfect for Zinfandel, Syrah, Malbec and Petite Syrah wines which typically have a ton of flavor.
Burgundy glass is best for more delicate reds like a Pinot Noir, and has an even wider bowl than the other two types, allowing you to pick up the more subtle smells and tastes.
Popular Options For White Wine
Chardonnay glass is open, great for full bodied white wines.
Sauvignon Blanc glass is a slimmer glass and better option for lighter wines like a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
Sweet white wine glasses are smaller without much room at the top, allowing the wine to flow right in the middle of your tongue to keep your mouth from being too full of sugar. Perfect for sipping Riesling or Moscato.
Champagne or sparkling wine flutes have a more slender shape to help preserve the bubbles for enjoyment in every sip.
Sippers, port and sherry glasses are smaller in scale and made for serving dessert wines.
Extra Tips For Choosing Your Wine Glass
Consider the stem. Stemless glasses are great, but did you know the stem helps keep hot hands from impacting the temperature of the wine, allowing it to be consumed exactly as it’s served. If it’s August in the South, it might be better to opt for the stemmed glass.
Pour properly. Fill the glass to the widest part to allow the most aroma to escape from the biggest surface area.
Related: The Best Summer Wines for Sipping Outside, According to Southern Sommeliers
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