You can drink wine from whatever vessel you want or, ditch the glass altogether and drink straight from the bottle. However, certain glasses do work better that others.
WHITE WINE GLASSES
White wines are traditionally served in smaller bowled glasses. Smaller glasses:
- Preserve floral aromas
- Maintain cooler temperature
- Express more acidity in wine
- Delivers more aromas due to proximity to the noise
Full bodied whites, however, such as Chardonnay, Viognier and White Rioja are better with a larger bowl.
RED WINE GLASSES
The choice of a red wine glass has a lot to do with mitigating the bitterness of tannin or spicy flavors to deliver a smoother tasting wine.
LARGE “BORDEAUX” STYLE GLASSES– This glass shape is best with bolder red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc or Bordeaux Blends. These glasses:
- Deliver more aroma compounds vs. the burn of ethanol from being farther from the nose
- Have a larger surface area to let ethanol evaporate
- Have a wider opening to make the wine taste smoother
“STANDARD” RED WINE GLASSES – These glasses are great for medium to full-bodied red wines with spicy notes or high alcohol. Spice is softened because flavors hit your tongue more progressively from the small opening. Try wines like Zinfandel, Malbec, Shiraz and Petite Syrah with this glass.
AROMA COLLECTOR “BOURGOGNE” GLASS- these are a great choice for lighter, more delicate red wines with subtle aromas. The large round bowl helps collect all of the aromas. Try this glass shape with Pinot Noir.
