How To Choose the Perfect Wine Glass
Have you ever gone to a party and been handed wine in a red plastic cup? Sure, nobody wants to do dishes at the end of a big party, but if you’re serving wine you really just have to bite the bullet and let your guests use your stemware.
As it turns out, the type of glass from which you drink wine makes a difference in the enjoyment of that wine. When a vintner produces a certain varietal, there’s an expectation that the consumer is going to enjoy it the way it was meant to be enjoyed. Oftentimes that means in a proper glass paired with the right kind of food. Red plastic party cups don’t really come into play.
The right kind of glass can enhance a wine drinker’s enjoyment of bouquet, texture, flavor, and finish. Whether you choose glass or crystal is a matter of personal preference. Do you want to wash by hand and enjoy something extra sparkly? Go with crystal. If you want to be able to put your glasses in the dishwasher, go with glass.
The shape of the glass should correspond with whatever varietal you are drinking. Of course Champagne and sparkling wines should be served in tall slender flutes so the bubbles have adequate space to rise. Red wine glasses are more round with a wider opening, while white wine glasses are “U” shaped with a more narrow opening. Dessert wine glasses have shorter stems and bowls since those wines tend to be sweeter and need to be directed toward the back of your mouth. Even in these categories there are specific glasses for each varietal, each of which is specifically designed to enhance your appreciation for that grape.
Learn more about pairing grape to glass from this infographic. Then try an experiment to determine whether you can tell the difference using different glasses. You might be surprised by what you learn and taste!
