If you’re just beginning your foray into wine appreciation, one of the first things you’ll notice is that there are distinct differences between the glassware used for red wine and that used for white wine. Perhaps when you were handed your first glass, you simply believed that these differences were traditional or merely a matter of aesthetics. In fact, the differences in each type of glass are about careful design that is meant to enhance your enjoyment of the wine within.
Wine glasses can be made in three ways: from fused or cut glass, from blown glass, or from lead crystal. Most experienced wine drinkers discourage the use of fused or cut glass stemware, as the qualities of the glass will often damage the flavor of the wine, and the lip of the glass is often gritty and unpleasant. Blown glass creates a more acceptable goblet, with a thinner lip. Lead crystal is used to make truly high-quality wine glasses—such glasses refract light through the wine in ways that maintain the wine’s flavor, and the rougher nature of the glass gives the wine a better chance to breathe. Although there are stemless wine glasses, generally a wine drinker prefers one with a stem, which allows one to avoid altering the temperature of the wine with their own body heat.
A red wine glass will tend to have a wider, rounder bowl, which allows a red wine to breathe more fully. Red wines respond to oxidation with subtle enhancements to their aroma and flavor, and as such these wine glasses are built to achieve those enhancements. Additionally, specific types of red wine glasses will direct specific types of wine to the parts of the mouth where their flavors may be best appreciated. For example, a Bordeaux glass may be employed when drinking a full-bodied wine such as a Merlot, as the glass will direct the wine to the back of the mouth.
White wine glasses, on the other hand, may have several different shapes and sizes, to accommodate the various behaviors of different white wines. Some white wines are also well-served by the full oxidation given to a red wine, and these glasses will appear similar to the red wine glasses mentioned above. Lighter white wines, however, may have a delicate bouquet and taste that is spoiled by too much breathing, and as such the glasses will have a smaller mouth. Champagne flutes are distinctive for their tall, thin appearance, which not only slows oxidation but also preserves the bubbles desired.
As you’ve probably been learning, the creation, preservation, and even the enjoyment of wine is often marked by precise details and tasks. The wine glass is no exception to this—it is not only an elegant form from which to enjoy your elegant drink, but it also helps serve the purpose of making your wine experience the best it can be. The next time you have a glass of wine in your hand, make sure that you appreciate the glass as much as the wine!
