Choosing the Right Wine Glass

Here are some general rules about choosing and using wine glassware:

Choose wine glasses that are made of good thin clear glass, with little decoration and not colored. You want to be able to see the wine through the glass. There are specific red wine glasses and white wine glasses. Red wine glasses usually have a wider bowl shape, and white wine glasses usually have a narrower bowl shape. You will also find that some wine glassware manufacturers make glasses for specific varietals of wine. Champagne glasses have a narrow opening. The narrow glass offers less surface area for the tiny bubbles (carbon dioxide) to escape. This type of glass is called a flute.

Hand wash your glasses with hot water. Be careful when using soap. Soap can leave a residue on the glassware that interferes with the aroma of the wine. Rinse well… Then rinse again.

Pour wine to about the lower one-third of the glass. This level is desirable for two reasons: It leaves room in the glass for the aroma to work its way up the sides of the glass. Secondly, you won’t spill the wine over the top edge when swirling the wine in the glass.

Keep a good supply of wine glasses on hand. Your wine guests will appreciate having wine in good wine glasses.