CultureLifestyle
2 min read

The Right Glass for the Right Drink

Smashing, sipping, gulping, clinking, or elegantly striking a pose, your glass is the major factor in these moments. Wine connoisseurs insist the type of glass is an important perception of wine presentation and influence on the actual taste. La de dah… A simple rule to remember would be large, small, tall, and tiny glasses.

Large

Many experts agree that two types of glasses are necessary for red wine. For Bordeaux reds, a large wine glass with a broad bowl will help direct the wine to the back of the mouth. Burgundy wines need a glass with an even bigger broader bowl to direct the wine to the front of the tongue to fully taste the sweeter qualities of the wine. Broad bowls help the “spread & release” of the aromas (bouquet). Unless you are a professional wine snob, one broad bowl style of glass for red wines will suffice.

 

 

 

 

 

Small

White wine glasses will have a smaller mouth and less bulbous bowl. This helps maintain cooler temperatures of white wine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tall

Champagne glasses have the tall flute/tulip shape to help maintain and show off the bubbles. The champagne coupe is the small shallow glass. Many agree this glass is less than desirable to use because the wide mouth allows the bubbles to escape too quickly. Popular, but untrue, rumor associated with this style of glass is that it was modeled after Marie Antoinette or Madame de Pompadour’s breast. Not true, the glass was first made in England for champagne more than 100 years before these women existed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quadrilateral stems designed with a "dimple" to encourage proper holding.

Tiny

Sherry and port are served in tiny wine glasses to direct the extremely sweet taste to the back of the mouth. I personally thought sherry and port glasses were designed tiny because who would want a large glass of that stuff.