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Wine Glasses
Our introduction to which glass to use for which wine.
Once you know enough about wine to start exploring this topic you may be forgiven if you conclude that there are as many types of glasses as there are wines. Let us put you at ease; for all but the most knowledgeable wine lovers only four types of glasses should suffice.
Red wine glasses are taller and wider than white wine glasses to allow you to better appreciate the complexities of the wine. We suggest that you invest in 2 different types, a Bordeaux glass and a Burgundy glass. The Bordeaux glass is designed for rich, full bodied red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots. It has a wide bowl which allows the wine to breathe and brings out the rich aromas. As this glass is tall the wine flows directly to the back of the mouth allowing the drinker to experience maximum flavour. A Burgundy glass is good for other full bodied wines such as Pinot Noir. The larger bowl of the Burgundy glass lets the wine flow to the tip of the tongue where the sweetness of the wine is best appreciated.
White wine glasses are smaller, which helps to help keep the wine cool. For a young crisp white wine, we recommend a glass with an opening that's a bit larger than the body of the glass. This allows the wine to flow around the tip and sides of the tongue to better enjoy the wine's sweetness. For more mature white wines you should have a taller, straighter glass. This type of glass will allow the wine to flow to the rear and sides of the tongue enabling you to better experience its bolder flavour.
Naturally there are more types of glasses a connoisseur might wish to have in his collection. Champagne flutes are tall and thin, which makes the bubbles last longer. Sweet and dessert wines, call for smaller glasses that dispense the wine to the back of the mouth so the sweetness doesn't envelope the whole tongue and overwhelm the wine’s flavours. Rosé glasses are about the same size as white wine glasses, but have wider bodies that allow the wine’s aromas to better develop.
We could say a lot more about wine glasses, but once you have the first four types and have perhaps expanded your range to include the next 3 types you are well on your way. There really is no overwhelming reason to have a different glass for each different wine. If you are only starting on your lifetime wine adventure there is no reason why you can’t get away with having one glass for red and one for white wine. The most important thing is that you don’t allow all the different types of glasses to distract you from enjoying the wine. Cheers!
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