Wednesday 13 January 2016

Types of Wine Glasses: How to Pick The Ideal One For Your Fine Wine – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

Types of Wine Glasses: How to Pick The Ideal One For Your Fine Wine – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants







Types of Wine Glasses: How to Pick The Ideal One For Your Fine Wine


Fine Wine Blog Fine Wine Glasses Specialty Wine Glasses Types of Wine Glasses




The different types of wine glasses available today differentiate themselves by means of size, shape, style, material used, and sometimes even colour. All of these characteristics make each type of wine glass unique in its own right.

Far more than simple aesthetics, a wine glass’s attributes can contribute or detract from the enjoyment of fine wine. In this article, we discuss important parts of the different types of wine glasses, helping you pick the right one for the right occasion.


Types of Wine Glasses: Parts

Apart from their differences, all wine glasses have 4 common parts. The stem is present on all glasses, aside from the modern stemless versions, and allow the glass to stand up while balancing the bowl. The stem of the wine glass allows you to hold your wine without warming it, and prevents smudges on the bowl.

The bowl is the part which has the most differentiation between glasses, and is the most essential – as it holds your wine, in addition to allowing surface area for the wine to breathe (in varying amounts). The rim is the second most important part, and allows you to drink the wine.


Types of Wine Glasses: Materials

The choice of material in creating the wine glass might be plastic, glass, or crystal, which all have their benefits and negatives. While plastic is the cheapest and least enjoyable material, it’s a perfect choice when glass cannot be allowed, such as the beach or at the pool.

Glass is the most common material, representing the balance between cost and quality. Crystal is the highest quality, for the best and most enjoyable wine-drinking experience, but can be quite expensive it is, however, the go-to material for your fine wine.


Perfect Glasses for Red Wine

Red wine should be served at or just below room temperature, in large wine glasses. The bowls of the glass should be more full and more round, in order for your nose to enter the bowl to experience the aroma.

The larger bowl size should also have a larger opening, as red wine needs a larger surface area, so that more wine can come into contact with air to breathe.

The Bordeaux glass is specifically for full bodied, heavy red wines. It is taller and with a slightly smaller bowl, to allow the wine to go directly to the back of the throat, in order to maximize flavour. Full-bodied red Bordeaux such as this Chateau Talbot, 2009 should always be drank from this type of wine glass.

The Burgundy glass is for full bodied yet light wines. It is shorter than the Bordeaux glass, but with a larger bowl. This allows the wine to touch the tip of the tongue, to enjoy the light wine’s more delicate flavouring. This Domaine Comte de Vogue Musigny, 2008 is a perfect example of a fine wine that goes neatly with this type of wine glass.


Perfect Glasses for White Wine

The glass for a white wine should be more upright and thinner than a red wine glass, as a cooler temperature needs to be maintained.

Young white wines should be served in a glass with a larger opening for lighter flavour tasting on the tip of the tongue, while mature white wines should be served in a glass that is straighter and taller for tasting the bold flavours on the back of the tongue. This Chateau d’Yquem, 2002 is a great example for this type of wine glass.


Specialty Wine Glasses: Champagne & Rose

While most wines are served in a red wine glass or white wine glass, some special occasion wines are best in a glass of their own.

The Champagne flute, for example, is more upright and narrow than the rest of the wine glasses, in order to keep the “bubbles” alive for as long as possible, and to hold the flavour for longer periods as well. Champagne Crystal is one of our favourites, and the ideal beverage to be enjoyed from such a glass.

Rose wines such as this Marchesi di Barolo Riserva, 2004 should be served in a glass with a short bowl. A glass with a slightly flared lip is best for young and crisp wines, while more mature wines should be serviced in a glass with a slight taper.


Maximizing Wine Enjoyment

The discerning wine lover should choose the most suitable wine glass to maximize their fine wine’s flavour and overall drinking experience. With different types of wine glasses that go ideally with their own types of fine wine, it’s important to know which one to choose for your specific bottle.

All of the fine wines mentioned in this article can be found in Moncharm’s online wine shop, along with the rest of our fine wine collection that brings together some of the best names from around the world.

Take a moment to check it out by clicking here – and please feel free to contact us for any fine wine related questions or queries! Our experts will reply promptly, and will be glad to help!

Image source: Flickr
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