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HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT WINE GLASS?

434 Views Posted on: 2024-06-12
 

Here are some examples of glasses to help you understand better.

Let's start with a quick anatomy lesson. A wine glass has three main parts: the base (foot), the stem, and the bowl (or goblet), which is the container. These three "parts" of the glass determine how a wine evolves: aroma development, contact with air, etc. That’s why the shape of the glass is important.

Tulip Glass: The Ideal Compromise
The reference wine glass is the “tulip” glass, named for its shape resembling that of a tulip flower. This shape is popular for a reason: it offers all the necessary advantages for proper wine tasting. First, its bowl size: 35 cl, accommodating about 12 cl of wine. Since wine needs to come into contact with air to develop its aromas, this margin is more than sufficient. The slightly flared lower part of the bowl allows the wine to aerate and develop its aromas, while the more tapered upper part channels the scents. Try pouring the same wine in equal quantities into a tulip glass and a stemless glass (like a mustard glass) and compare the aromas. The tulip glass is well-suited for young wines, especially Bordeaux wines, but also for dry white wines, rosés, and red wines in general.

Burgundy Glass: A Classic
Another classic is the Burgundy glass. With its long stem and a bowl that is more rounded than that of the tulip glass, the Burgundy glass is ideal for swirling the wine, a gesture that helps to open its aromas. Its bowl is twice the size of the tulip glass and can hold an entire bottle of wine (75 cl). However, it is best to fill only one-third of the bowl for optimal wine aeration. It is mainly used for young wines that need to breathe a bit before tasting. It is of course used for Burgundy wines, but also for other young wines from various wine regions in France.

Champagne Glass: Between the Coupe and the Flute
When it comes to Champagne or other sparkling wines, the choice seems straightforward: a flute or a coupe. But each has its drawbacks. The very wide bowl of the coupe can accelerate the loss of bubbles, while the straight flute may limit the wine’s aeration. The ideal is a glass that merges features of both the flute and the tulip glass (see visual above), which will release the wine’s aromas while retaining its bubbles.

Did You Know?
For most of us, serving wine in a stemmed glass seems obvious. But do you know why? The stem allows you to hold the glass at a distance so your hand doesn’t warm the liquid inside. However, if you’re tasting a red wine served too cold for your taste, you can hold the bowl to raise its temperature slightly. According to Enrico Bernardo, named the best sommelier in the world in 2004, stemless wine glasses have some advantages: “The lack of a stem creates a shorter elbow movement. This changes how the wine enters the mouth, first touching the sides of the tongue. This way, you experience more of the wine’s roundness and less of the tannins. Additionally, the conical shape of the bottom of the glass is meant to concentrate the wine and slow down oxidation.”