Buying Guide for Wine Glasses

The proper wine glass can seal the perfect meal. When you use the right stemware that’s based on what you’re serving, it tells guests you’re sophisticated and you care about what you serve those guests.

That said, it can be confusing. How do you know if the red wine is best serve in this glass? Which is best for chardonnay? Here you’ll find everything you need to know to determine the best stemware for every occasion.

Artisans make various glassware, each their own shape that serve a specific purpose. One rule of thumb for choosing the best wine glass is to pay attention to the wine itself. The sweetness versus acidity, the color, maturity – these are what you should pay attention to as you select your stemware. These, and as you’ll see below, are what complement your wine.

The Glass Matters

You’re looking to enhance the experience of your wine; you likely went to great lengths to select the right one for your meal; indeed, it’s an important element and can anchor your menu selections. It’s more than just the taste of the wine itself, it’s the ringing of glass with your toast, it’s the feel of the stem in your hand and the right flute enhances the bubbles in your champagne. It’s the aroma that’s allowed to escape from that divine red wine you’ve been saving and are now serving in the perfect glass.

What it Should Be

Many people select a single set of stemware that they will use with every wine. But for those who wish to really accelerate the experience, an entire collection is something you and your guests will enjoy for many years. An entire collection might include three types – which is what many have in their homes – or it can be an expansive selection that provides many options.

The three most common types, and ones that will likely serve your purpose, are those used for sparking wines, such as champagne, red wine and of course, white wine.

Your red wine glasses will be the larger choices with wider bowls that allow the rich aromas to escape. Red wines are generally “heavier”, often served with red meat and even some seafood or poultry. The age of the wine plays a role, too; a younger red works well in a wider bowl with a straight design, much like a glass you’d choose for a white wine.

The more mature, or “bodied” your wine, you might wish to select a taller glass with a more narrow opening. This helps ensure the aromas are more compact and allow you to experience the competing scents.

Your white wine glasses typically offer a narrower bowl than their red counterparts. This helps to ensure a more enjoyable aroma; one that’s usually a bit more delicate and “light”.

The younger white wines work splendidly with a straight or even slightly flared outward. This shape of glass is meant to properly introduce the flavors of a young, crisp wine to the mouth by directing the wine first to the tip of the tongue for more sensitivity to sweetness and then to the sides of the tongue for more sensitivity to acidity. This shape of glass also directs the aroma of the wine delicately to the nose to complement the delicacy of the wine.

If it’s a more mature white wine, consider a slightly larger mouth to ensure the more complex aromas “bloom” within the bowl.

A few minutes spent on determining the best choice for your wines, the better experience you and your guests will have.