However, if you have a great wine, or a
special occasion with friends, you might want to be sure you have the
right wine
stemware. Good wine tastes even better out
of good glasses. Seriously. The appropriate size, thickness and shape
of your stemware can help you appreciate the feeling and aroma of
your wine in a considerably different way. In particular, the shape
controls the flow of wine onto your tongue.
- Red Wine Glasses: These hold a minimum of 12 oz., but some range from 16 to 24 oz. or more—great for Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chianti and Zinfandel. Consider a wider bowl shape for your Pinot Noirs and Barolos. The wider mouth offers more exposure to air, allowing the wine to breathe.
- White Wine Glasses: These are smaller and more upright, holding 10 to 12 oz. of wine—great for Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Moscato, Pinot Grigio or Riesling.
- Sparkling Wine Glasses: Champagne stemware (whether a flute, trumpet or tulip by any other name) is particularly tall and thin, which helps keep the bubbles in the bubbly and the temperature cold.
- Dessert Wine Glasses: For Sherries, Sauternes and other sweet wines, try the smallest stemware—8 to 13 oz. to direct the fruity aroma straight to your nose. These wines typically have a high alcohol content, making a smaller serving more appropriate.
Other types of glassware have become
popular over the years, such as outdoor
wine glasses (great for the patio; usually
made of acrylic), and patterned
and colored wine glasses (for the more
creative or artistic). But lately I've seen stemless
glasses show up at practically every other
gathering—the base allows your glass to stand upright, and feels
less likely to tip over than traditional stemware.
In the end, a great wine deserves a
great glass. It doesn't even have to be the finest Ravenscroft
glassware—selecting decent wine glasses
simply heightens the aesthetic experience of drinking wine. Try it—it
makes a real difference. And if you're in a pinch, try a jelly jar!
