Yes, it can be so overwhelming at times that you just want to use a cup, but fear not – here's a purist's guide to drinking glasses for when you're out at a formal dinner or exclusive cocktail parties
Enhance the drinking experience by using the appropriate glass for every wine, liquor, and spirit you'll be serving. Beyond aesthetic purposes, there are sensible reasons for why every drink has a proper corresponding glass. Connoisseurs find that each glass has its unique characteristics that highlight the flavour, colour, and other qualities of a beverage. In this guide, we'll focus on the different types of wine glasses.
See also: What Are The Best Bordeaux 2017 Wines? Hear From Tatler's Resident Wine Expert
1. Red Wine Glasses
Wine glasses nowadays have stemless variations. But, the stem elongates the glass and gives one something to hold on to. This avoids fingerprints on the bowl of the glass. More importantly, did you know that when you touch your wine glass by the bowl, it raises the wine's temperature? If you want to serve wine, and savour each sip at its full potential, then the right temperature is very important.
When choosing glass types for red wines, remember that the Burgundy wine glass is for lighter and more delicate red wines like Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, and Burgundy. Its thin rim makes it easy to drink from and the large bowl helps to collect the wine's flavours helping the drinker appreciate the lighter blends variety of aromas and notes. The glass has a slightly narrowed mouth, which helps direct wine to the right areas of your palate. You can interchange a Burgundy wine glass with a Pinot Noir glass, as it is also for light and delicate wines. However, its curvier and wider bowl and wider mouth can enable the wine to aerate better, thus improving flavour and aroma.
Bordeaux wine glasses are designed for the full-bodied and heavier range of red wines like Bordeaux blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and other bolder wines. It is tall, has a broad bowl, and directs wine to the back of one's mouth, which makes the wine less bitter and allows one to enjoy a wider flavour spectrum of the wine. The height and size of the design enables more oxygen to contact the wine, allowing for ethanol to dissipate, help the wine breathe, and allows helps a powerful wine's stronger tannins, soften. Another glass that you could use for wines like these is the Cabernet Sauvignon glass. It also has a broad bowl but a narrower rim compared to Bordeaux wine glasses.
Meanwhile, more often than not standard red wine glasses have shorter stems, and are suitable for medium to full-bodied red wines. Its lower height and medium-sized bowl size allows the rich and complex flavours of wines like Zinfandel, Shiraz, Merlot, Chianti, and Malbec to soften up and meet the tongue continuously. While its slightly smaller opening helps to trap flavours and direct it to the palate.
