Therefore, a stemless glass is less ideal for drinking white wine - however, it's really up to you and what you prefer for your wine drinking experience. Glasses with a stem look more formal, while glasses without a stem are a little more casual. However, drinking from a stemless glass can raise the temperature of the wine because your hand is directly holding the cup (and consequently the wine) instead of holding the stem of the glass. When it comes to choosing a glass with and without a stem, it is primarily a matter of personal preference. They are tall and narrow to display the sparkling wine as long as possible. Threy usually range between 150 - 220 ml. Glass for sparkling wine are called flutes. So to preserve them for as long as possible, choose a tall, narrow flute glass. Who doesn't love fun bubbles in sparkling wine? However, sparkling wine loses its bubbliness once it is exposed to oxygen. White wine glasses usually have a volume of 150 - 300 ml, but other sizes may be available. A white wine glass also exposes less of the wine's surface to the air and helps keep white wines cooler. Always choose the size according to the subtlety of the wine.īecause most white wines have more subtle flavors and aromas, a narrower glass helps direct them more towards the nose. The most common sizes are around 450-550 ml, but neither smaller nor larger sizes are exceptional. Wider red wine glass allows more aromas to reach your nose and also help aerate the wine as you drink, releasing more flavour. Red wines usually require a large, wide cup to best bring out their more pronounced aromas and flavours.

350ml) and have a soft tulip shape with a more closed rim.

Universal wine glasses are medium sized (approx. But if you're not satisfied with anything less than perfection, read on. With enough room to allow the wine to breathe, these versatile glasses will provide a sufficient drinking experience for most wines. If you have any doubts about which shape of glass is best for your wine, choose a universal medium-sized glass designed for both red and white wine. Everything else is just differently sized and shaped variations of these three shapes. The basic division of cup shapes is into Balloon, Tulip and Flute. With narrower cups, the wine is exposed to less air and less surface area reaches the nose to release the aroma. With wide cups, a large portion of the wine is exposed to the air and a large amount of aroma reaches the nose. The width of the cup of the wine glass affects the size of the surface of the wine exposed to air. It also affects how much of the wine's aroma is perceived by your nose. They also allow for easier swirling, which not only looks cool, but when done right, will aerate the wine and help it open up and reach its potential. Larger cups allow the wine to breathe more. In other words - when you pour a rich wine into a small cup, you kill its potential. The smaller the cup, the harder it is to get all those aromas out. Whether it is a red, white, rosé, sparkling or fortified wine, the aroma plays a key role in its overall character.

Don't like the way the wine tastes? Before you blame the wine, try enjoying it from a different glass. Ultimately, the best choice of wine glass for a particular wine is the one that makes the wine taste the best. Keep in mind, however, that all guidelines regarding matching wine glasses with wines are guidelines only. When selecting a wine glass, it is best to take the shape and size of the chalice into consideration and match it to the type of wine. The different types of glasses are shaped to highlight different aspects of the wine. Sounds complicated? Don't worry, you'll soon get the hang of it with us. All of these elements ultimately affect the flavor you taste. How, you ask? The shape, size and style of the glass affect how much air your wine breathes, how much aroma is released and reaches your nose, and where the wine first touches your tongue. Even slight differences in the design of a glass can make a big difference in your wine experience.