Whether you’re a wine aficionado or buy the cheapest wine on the shelf, chances are you’ve questioned your choice of wine glass. With so many shapes and sizes, how can you decide which wine glass to use? Here’s a handy guide on how to choose a wine glass from the wine lovers at Pour L’Amour.
Types of Red Wine Glasses
First, let’s take a look at all the different types of red wine glasses. As a group, red wine glasses have wider bowls than white wine glasses do. This allows more oxygen to penetrate the surface of the wine and open up its flavors.
Wine Glass for Malbecs, Syrahs, and Petite Syrahs
For medium-bodied wines, look for a red wine glass with a smaller shape and a narrower opening. These versatile types of glasses are called standard red wine glasses or medium-bodied red wine glasses. If you only purchase one type of red wine glass, make it a standard red wine glass.
Wine Glass for Pinot Noirs and Burgundys
Delicate wines call for a nearly triangle-shaped wine glass. These glasses have wide bowls and very narrow rims. This shape allows for lots of oxygenation and a slower flow, maximizing the sweetness of these wines. Look for Burgundy glasses or Pinot Noir glasses.
Wine Glass for Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, and Bordeaux
On the other hand, full-bodied red wines require wine glasses with medium-sized bowls and wider openings. The bite of the tannins in these wines dissipates through oxygenation, while the wider opening allows more wine to hit your palette with each sip. Shop for Merlot glasses or Cabernet Sauvignon glasses.
Types of White Wine Glasses
If you’re a white wine lover, you’ve got two white wine glass options to choose from.
Wine Glass for Sauvignon Blancs, Rieslings, and Rosés
For light white wines with high acidity levels, look for a wine glass with a narrower bowl and a narrower rim. This shape helps the wine stay cool while preserving floral notes that can dissipate in a wider glass. Shop for standard wine glasses. If you only want to purchase a single type of wine glass, make it a standard wine glass.
Wine Glass for Chardonnays, Chenin Blancs, and White Riojas
Fuller-bodied white wines require glasses with wider bowls and larger openings. This allows you to enjoy the richness of these wines. These types of glasses are called Chardonnay glasses or full-bodied wine glasses.
Special Wine Glasses
For dessert wines like port, you want to go for a dessert wine glass, which is a stout, narrow glass that allows you to savor the sweetness of dessert wines. For sparkling wines, go for a narrow flute, which prevents your bubbly from going flat.
Stem or No Stem?
Stem. Stemless wine glasses may fit well in your cabinet, but they also make it more difficult to aerate your wine. Since there’s no stem to hold on stemless wine glasses, the heat from your hand warms up your wine, which is a big no-no for white wines.
Now that you know how to choose a wine glass, you’ll understand why we serve your Chardonnay in a bowl-shaped glass and your Champagne in a flute. We love nerding out about wine glasses at Pour L’Amour, so stop on by and get your questions answered. We’re open 11 am to 9 pm Wednesday through Saturday and 10 am to 2 pm on Sunday for brunch.
