- Amanda
Wine to Glass
Wine Glasses
Matching glassware to your wine does improve the flavor.
Here are the six main types of wine glasses and the wines to match with them.
Flute Glass
Great for sparkling wines, especially Prosecco. The best choice for preserving bubble finesse in sparkling wines
Classy as heck!
Really tricky to wash.
Very poor balance, easily topples over.
Flute glasses are particularly popular right now in the world of high-end Champagne. This could be because flutes are not particularly good at expressing aromas, which is the appeal of extended tirage Champagne. Use a white wine or universal glass instead!
White Wine Glass
Great for stainless steel white wines, where the focus is on delicate fruit and floral aromatics. Think wines like Chenin Blanc, Torrontés, and Albariño!
Helps maintain chilled white wine temperature.
Does a good job at highlighting floral and citrus aromas.
Easy to clean and maintain.
Not fun for red wines (makes them taste more tart, and less rich)
Aroma Collector Wine Glass
Aroma Collectors are also known as “Burgundy Glasses.” This style does wonders with lighter-bodied red wines like Pinot Noir, but is also a great choice for oak-aged Chardonnay, and Rosé.
Very good at communicating aromas.
Not good for lean, dry whites, or most sparkling wines (makes them flat).
Very impressive to look at and stick your nose into.
Be warned, they tend to be delicate and easy to break.
Universal Wine Glass
A fantastic all-around glass that works for just about any wine. That being said, we’ve observed standard glasses perform really well on spicy red wines (e.g. “food wines” like Tempranillo and Barbera) and middle-weight whites (like Vermentino!). This would be a great glass choice for a chef.
Great for spicy wines and food wines.
Easy to clean and maintain.
Good for red, rosé, and white wine.
Does everything well, can tend to make reds taste “spicier.”
Oversized Wine Glass
The oversized glass is also referred to as a “Bordeaux” glass.
This glass is an absolute must-have for the most opulent red wines. The large opening helps mitigate the tannin across your tongue, making wines taste smoother and more supple. Thus, this shape is a standout choice for bolder red wines such as Sagrantino, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Touriga Nacional.
Great for bold red wines with high tannin.
Tend to make wines taste rounder.
Very impressive to look at.
Hard to clean (if you have big hands).
Dessert Wine Glass
Dessert wine glasses are crafted to be a lot smaller in size and definitely help with portion control. This is good because many of the world’s top dessert wines are particularly high in alcohol.
Tips For Choosing The
Choose your glass based on the wine you drink most.
It’s easy to fall in love with the look of a glass only to discover it doesn’t work for you. Here are some considerations to keep in mind when choosing your type of wine glass:
Be sure to factor in the cost of replacing a glass due to breakage.
Will those wine glasses fit in your cabinet?
Crystal is better than glass, but glass shape is more important than material.