Different Types of Wine Glasses

While serving wine, there are two things that need to be just right - serving temperature and serving glass. If either of the two is not correct, the whole wine drinking experience will be lost. Coming down to the shape of a wine glass, it plays an important role in concentrating the flavor and aroma (or bouquet) of the drink in such a way that bring out its unique flavor. Are you aware of the various types of wine glasses that are used in the world? No? Then, the information given below will surely increase your knowledge.

 

 

 

Red wine glasses have a wide bowl, round in shape, aimed at increasing the rate of oxidization. As oxygen comes in contact with the wine, the latter's flavor and aroma get enhanced further. In fact, the complex flavors of red wine get smoothed out after being exposed to air. Red wine glasses have a larger opening as well, which allows the drinker to dip his/her nose into the glass easily and detect the wine's aroma. This type of glass can further be categorized into two sub-types, namely

 

Bordeaux Glass: It is taller than the Burgundy glass and has a broad bowl. This glass is best used for full bodied red wines, like Cabernet and Merlot. This is because it helps direct wine to the back of the mouth.

Burgundy Glass: Though shorter than the Bordeaux, Burgundy glass is much broader, having a bigger bowl. This helps the glass accumulate aromas of more delicate red wines and direct the wine to the tip of the tongue. It is best used in case of wines such as Pinot Noir.

 

White wine glasses are available in a wide range of shapes as well as sizes, mainly with the aim of bringing out the unique characteristics of different styles of wine. However, more often that not, such glasses have a more U-shaped bowl, which is upright in stance. This not only helps maintain a cooler temperature of the wines, but also allows the aromas to be released easily. In case of white wine, you might be required to keep at least two different sets of glasses - one for younger, crisp whites and one for more mature, fuller whites.

 

In case of younger whines, which are crisper in nature, the glasses need to have a slightly larger opening. This kind of opening allows the wine to be directed straight to the tip as well as sides of the tongue, in order to let the drinker taste its sweetness fully. As for the mature wines, which are fuller in nature, the glasses need to be straighter as well as taller in shape. This helps the wine be directed straight to the back and sides of the tongue, allowing the drinker to taste its bolder flavors.

 

Champagne flutes, commonly known as sparkling wine glasses as well, have a long stem, attached to which is a tall, narrow bowl on top. The glass is so designed to keep the hands away from the bowl (and placed on the stem), so that their heat does not end up warming the champagne as well. In other words, it keeps the sparkling wine pleasing throughout its consumption. The bowl is kept narrow, with less surface area at the opening, in order to help the wine retain its signature carbonation. Last but not the least, as the wine bubbles travel further (due to the narrow design of the glass), it adds to the overall visual appeal.

 

 

Dessert Wine Glass: Dessert wine glass has a long stem, while its bowl is narrow at the opening. This allows the wine to be directed to the back of the mouth, where its sweetness doesn't overwhelm.

 

Sherry Glass: Generally used for serving aromatic alcoholic beverages, like sherry, port, aperitifs, and liqueurs and layered shooters, sherry glass has its size set to 120 milliliters (4.2 imp fl oz; 4.1 US fl oz).