Choosing Wine Glasses

We're often asked more or less how to decide on the ideal wine glass in our wine tasting proceedings, so we thought it was just about time to put (virtual) marker to paper.

Glassware can generate a sizeable difference to how wine tastes, so it's imperative to select wisely. Should you opt for a cut glass design? Does hand blown glass make a difference? What size of glass must you decide on?

There's lots to consider while choosing your glass, but don't get overwhelmed. The generally notable thing (by far) is to ensure that the glass you decide on is capable of capturing the wine's aroma. You do this by ensuring that the lip of the glass is slighter in diameter than the bowl (it's really that simple).

Whether you opt for cut glass or something a little smoother is a individual decision, but it's worth remembering that uncut glass is the standard preference for wine tastings - cut glass can show to be a big limitation when studying a wine's appearance.

Opting for a hand-blown glass is again a concern of individual preference. At the top end of the wine glass marketplace sit manufacturers like Riedel, Austrian master craftsmen who have pioneered the exploitation of functional wine glasses. Riedel boast a massive range of glasses that are specialized to the character and variety of different wines.

When you're at a plush dinner/wedding/corporate shindig, it's additionally worth remembering which glass size is used for which wine; whichever very petite glass on the table is likely to be for the dessert or fortified wine, the moderate-sized glass will be meant for white wines and roses, and the biggest glass will be for red wines (as specific red wines can benefit from exposure to air).

Still not sure that glass type makes a difference? Well here's a trivial game for you the next occasion you are inside a bar or a restaurant. Ask your waiter/barman to pour the same wine into a wine glass and a martini flute (or a highball). Swirl both glasses around, have a nose of each one, and perceive the difference....