How to chose the right wineglass

You know that tingly feeling when the first date goes well and one says Yes to date number two. All dolled up and, if I do say so myself, looking my best, I arrive at the appointed place. All goes well, and he brings out a really nice bottle of wine. However, one tiny little detail has been missed! The glasses! We end up enjoying the wine in some standard coffee cups from IKEA!
Well, does it matter? (I’m thinking about the taste of the wine, not about the eventual success of the date)

The answer is yes. What you use as a vessel to drink the wine matters more than you might think.

The material

Let’s start with the material.
A clear, uncoloured glass, without marks such as cuts, painted decorations etc. allows you to see the wine, its colour, structure, bubbles if it is sparkling etc. and gives a greater overall experience. Not only for wine nerds like yours truly who wonder whether the colour of the wine should be described as ruby red or deep ruby red, but also for the ordinary wine drinker. The thickness of the glass also plays a role in the flavour and experience of the wine. A thin delicate rim makes the wine flow more easily and you feel the wine, not the glass.

Foot or no foot?

Even the foot plays an important part. I think (I hope) everyone knows nowadays that you never hold the glass in the cup itself but always around the stem. This is partly to avoid staining the cup (see above about being able to see the wine) but also to avoid unnecessarily heating the wine.

The size of the cup

Then we come to the cup itself. And yes, size does matter, at least here.
A powerful red wine needs space to unfold. It needs to be able to breathe and it is very common that red wine needs to be in contact with oxygen to develop and really open up. Here is also the reason why some red wines are improved by decanting. So a proper red wine glass is made of clear, unmarked thin glass on a stem and with a slightly larger bowl.

White wine, on the other hand, is usually of a more delicate nature. It rarely needs to breathe, but instead we need to preserve the elusive flavours. That’s why the white wine glass has a smaller bowl and often a more closed top than a red wine glass. It is also a positive feature if it has a slightly longer stem. This is because white wine is usually served cold and you want to avoid it absorbing heat from your hand. (Again, hold the glass by the stem, not the cup)

For the sparkling, flute or coupe?

Sparkling wines are characterised by their bubbles. That’s why we need a glass where they can stretch out and shine. The tall, slightly tulip-shaped, chamapgne glass combines the best of both worlds. The gentle bowl shape at the bottom allows the wine to open up, and the tall, slender shape allows the bubbles to dance while the closed top preserves the delicate flavours. If you don’t have one of these, go for a regular straight flute-shaped glass.
The beautiful coup glasses may be aesthetically pleasing and give vibes of The Great Gatsby and the roaring twenties, but wine-wise, well, maybe not the best choice as the bubbles have nowhere to go and the aromas quickly disappear due to the large surface.

Down the rabbit hole?

The shape of wine glasses is a whole science and it’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole. For the dedicated, you can use different glasses for different wines such as Bordeaux, Nebbiolo, Cabernet etc and so on. (But now we are, in my humble opinion rather far down the rabbit hole)

For the ordinary home and hobby wine-taster, my recommendation is to have three different glasses. All clear, undecorated, thin glass and on stem. A somewhat smaller white wine glass, a slightly larger red wine glass, and a tall flute for bubbly.

And yes, if you’re on a budget (or want to spend your har earned money on wine) you can buy all three at IKEA , start experimenting and save up to maybe buy the more exclusive brands later.

And in case you’re wondering, yes, despite the coffee cup debacle, there was also a third date. 😉

Maria Scharffenberg
Sommelier and Teacher