Glasses for red wines

Red wine tends to be smoother and less bitter or spicy when consumed in the glass with a wide rim. Furthermore, the distance from the rim to the wine’s surface also affects the tasting experience.

High-tannin red wines belonging to full-bodied category are normally made from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux-style blend. Those wines should be drunk in glasses having tall, large bowls and rims that are not too narrow.

As for medium and full-bodied red wines that are made from Sangiovese, Syrah, Malbec, or Garnacha, glasses with smaller bowls and tapered, slim rims should help you to better experience the flavors of spices and peppers.

Meanwhile, red wines that are made from Pinot Noir, Gamay, or Nebbiolo should be drunk from glasses with wide bowls and flared rims. These glasses have bowls with similar tall but larger rims compared to ones of the second mentioned type, allowing more intense floral notes.

There are two popular types of glasses for red wines namely Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Glasses for white wines

White wines are often served in glasses with smaller bowls and long stems. This design helps wines to be chilled, fully preserve the aromas, accentuate the acidic notes, and release the flavors more intensely even at cold temperature.

However, full-bodied white wines that are made from Chardonnay or Viognier and fermented in oak barrels tend to spread aromas better when they are consumed in glasses having larger bowls than ones of normal glasses for other white wines.

There are two types of glasses widely used, including ones having short and tapering bowls, and ones having short bowls combined with smaller mouths.

Glasses for special wines

Depending on the type of wine, you can choose an appropriate kind of glass. For example, a Port glass having a small size and narrow mouth that helps to reduce evaporation is suitable for high alcohol content wines. A dessert wine glass is recognized for its tiny size to serve a small pour, directing the wine to the back of the mouth so the sweetness does not overwhelm. Meanwhile, a sparkling wine glass has a slender bowl, tall stem, and narrow rim. This shape helps to slow down carbon dioxide emissions and accentuate fruity notes in wine.