About Barware

Wine Glasses

In order to get the most enjoyment out of every bottle of wine, it is necessary to give at least a little thought to choosing the glass barware or wine glasses that you plan to use. There are many different types of wine glasses, of varying styles and quality. There are a number of manufacturers of fine, and somewhat expensive, crystal glasses, designed specifically for use with certain wines, and some such glasses are illustrated on this page. It’s not necessary to spend big bucks, however, as long as you purchase glasses, also often referred to as ’stemware’, which obey a few simple rules.

Choosing Wine Glasses

Rule #1
When choosing wine glasses, firstly pay attention to the material from which it is made. At the very least, the glass must be plain and clear. Part of the enjoyment of wine is appreciation of the colour. The colour can also impart a lot of information about the wine, giving clues to the grapes used, the age of the wine, and so on. Consequently, wine glasses made from coloured or frosted glass, or worse still solid materials such as pewter or silver, are useless. I personally feel that cut crystal is also detrimental to the appearance of the wine, but this is a personal bugbear, which also relates to the size and shape (they are generally far too small) of many such glasses, which makes them completely inappropriate for the appreciation of wine.

Rule #2
Secondly, when choosing wine glasses, make sure that you select glasses which are of a sufficient size. The bowl should be large enough to allow a fair measure to be poured, whilst leaving enough room for the wine to be gently swirled without spilling the wine. This swirling action is to release aromas from the wine, and is therefore vitally important. Many types of wine glasses are so tiny that they must be filled to the brim in order to achieve a decent size pour, and these are therefore plainly inadequate.

Rule #3
The glass must have a stem, not just for aesthetic reasons, but mainly so that the wine glass may be held without covering the bowl in greasy fingerprints. Holding by the stem also ensures that warmth from the hand does not increase the temperature of a wine that has been served chilled, although in practice I’ve never found this to be a real problem. Watch any accomplished wine taster and you will notice that their hand very rarely touches the bowl, as it quickly becomes second nature to hold the glass only by the stem or base.

Rule #4
So, in choosing our wine glasses, we have selected a style made from clear glass, which has a stem, and is of a decent size. Surely there are no other important considerations? There are, however, as the shape of the bowl is of considerable importance. Good wine glasses taper in somewhat at the top, so that the aperture is narrower than the bowl lower down. Whilst this appearance is aesthetically pleasing, it is also of functional importance. A wine taster will use a swirling action to release precious aromas from the wine, and this tapered shape serves to concentrate the aromas towards the nose. This design is particularly evident in glasses designed for Pinot Noir, in which appreciation of the full range of aromas is so important in enjoying the wine.