A guide to selecting wine glasses for your home.
In order to truly appreciate your wine and get the most out of it you can, you should place more than a little thought behind what you are serving it in. The glassware you chose can indeed make a difference in not only how your wine looks, but also how the aromas and flavors are perceived. While it is not a requirement to spend a fortune, or to have many different glasses on hand, you should follow a few basic guidelines when selecting glasses.
First, wine glasses are often called stemware for a good reason, because they should all have stems. There are a number of more modern designs that feature stem-less designs, but we recommend only using glasses with stems. By mostly holding your glass from the stem you will not warm the wine as you drink it. This can especially become an issue towards the end of the glass when you have been holding it for a while, and when there is less wine making it is easier to accidentally warm. This warming can often release an unwelcome explosion of esters in your aroma leaving you with little else to taste or smell. The stem will also keep the bowl of the glass clear of fingerprints or smudges allowing you a clear view of your wine.
Make sure you select glass that is clear and sparkling. Colored glasses or those with a dingy tint will also cloud you view of the wine and may affect your perception of the flavor. With a clear view of your wine you will be able to get a better feel for its age, the grapes that were used, how long it may have been aged in wood, and generally set the stage for the tasting experience.
The size of the glass is also a consideration. The bowl should be of ample enough size to hold about 1/5 of a bottle when full. While we don't recommend filling your glass this full, a glass this large will have enough room to swirl the wine and release its aroma for your enjoyment. The shape should taper a bit towards the top of the bowl in order to concentrate these aromas right before you sip the wine. The exception of this is the champagne flute. While at many parties the wide rimmed style shaped like an upside down sombrero is popular, these glasses make the wine go flat much too soon. A good quality flute style glass is always preferably for sparkling wines.
So when selecting wine glasses for your home from the multitude of offerings you really only need 3 kinds. First, a large bowled red wine glass, often called a balloon glass. The wide mouth of these glasses will help release plenty of aromas while still giving enough breathing space to allow the nose to fully develop. Second, a smaller bowled glass for white wines is a good option. These wines already tend to be very fruity and high in esters, and too much air space will quickly oxidize and release the entire nose before you finish the glass. Last, some good quality champagne flutes for sparkling wine will guarantee bubbly sips down to the bottom.
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