Types of Wine Glasses: How to Choose?

There are two types of wine drinkers in the world: those who care about which wine goes into which type of glass, and those who would happily drink their wine straight from the bottle if society didn’t tend to look down on such things.

Joking aside, there is a point to be made here: we all know that there are different types, shapes and sizes of glass for different types of wines - from wide bowled Bordeaux glasses, to tall elegant flutes, small rounded sherry glasses and more - but do they really matter, and do they really make a difference?

The answer, as with all things in the world of wine, is ‘yes, and no’.

There is some logic behind the design of different wine glasses, and they are actually made in that way in order to enhance your enjoyment of the wine. There is also some pleasure to be had in the ceremonial aspect of wine serving and wine drinking, if you like that sort of thing.

However, deep down, we all know full well that what really matters is what’s in the glass, not which shape it comes in.

We no longer live in the 19th century, anxiously sticking to the rules of etiquette like ants in honey, and the bottom line to this (and to most things in life) is to drink wine in whatever way makes you feel most comfortable.

That being said, let’s take a brief look at some of the logic behind wine glasses, their shapes, sizes and styles, and you can make your mind up for yourself.

Size matters?--red

The size and shape of the bowl of the glass does make a difference if you’re serious about your wine tasting and want the full sensory experience.

The bigger the bowl (the bit that actually holds the wine), the more wines (red wines, particularly) can ‘open up’ in the glass, and allow the aromas to circulate and fully manifest themselves.

Consider the stem--aromatic

The stem of the glass is the defining feature of the classic wine glass, and the idea behind this is to allow the drinker to comfortably hold their wine, without affecting the temperature of the bowl with their body heat.

Firstly when it comes to quality wine, temperature really does matter. Serving wine at its optimal temperature allows the full range of flavours and aromas to come forward in the glass - to warm, and the taste of the alcohol takes over. Too cold, and the chemicals which release all those lovely scents and flavours are inhibited, resulting in the wine tasting flat.

Now, for the vast majority of people, your hands are one of the warmest parts of your body (yes, we know that some of you have freezing cold hands most of the time - you don’t have to write in and tell us). Stemless glasses would cause the body heat radiating from your hands to slightly affect the temperature of the wine in the glass, thus causing it to not quite hit the perfect spot when it reaches your palate. You’ve probably noticed this when sipping an ice-cold can of beer at a concert or during a picnic - the heat from your hands really does make a difference quite quickly to the temperature of your drink. Because wine is so sensitive to temperature change, the stems of glasses really do make a massive difference.

Secondly, stemmed glasses make it a lot easier to swirl your wine, and observe its colour while doing so. You might not be the kind of wine drinker who makes a big deal out of doing this, but trust us, swirling wine in a stemless glass is pretty well known for leading to embarrassing spillages.

Lastly (and by no means least), stems stop your from getting your grubby fingerprints all over the bowl of your glass. We’re not exactly neat freaks here, but even we can spot a greasy wine glass from several metres away… and they’re not the prettiest of things to see.

So, there you have it: stemmed glasses are a point at which wine tradition meets practicality and common sense.

Of course, if you drink your wine quickly, this doesn’t really matter…

Flutes and fizz--racy

One of the most distinctive wine glass shapes out there is the classic Champagne flute. By reducing the surface area of the sparkling wine, flutes allow fizzy wines to retain their bubbles for longer, which most people would argue is the whole attraction of drinking sparkling wines.

However, I would argue that Champagne (less so with other sparkling wine styles) actually benefits from being served in a regularly shaped wine glass, as although the fizz will dissipate more quickly, the bubbles will still remain present on the palate and the flavours of the wine will come forward more fully and comfortably.

The colour question--vegan

Most serious wine drinkers wouldn’t dream of serving their wines in coloured or etched glasses, and we're probably with them on this one.

The colour of wine is one of the beautiful things about the drink and the drinking experience, and it seems a little odd to use glasses which get in the way of this, but again, there's no real rules here!

Now that we've given you a rundown of the science behind wine glass size and shape, let's go to our favourite part.. actually drinking what's in the glass!

About the Author

Banjo Harris Plane is the three-time winner Sommelier of the Year Australia and a certified advanced Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers. He first cut his teeth in the wine industry working as a sommelier in Australia's best restaurants, before starting multiple businesses in the space of a few years... these included two restaurants, a wine import business and co-founding Good Pair Days!