Types of red, white and sparkling wine glasses
Each wine has its own type of glass. But how to figure out which one is the right one?
In addition to the color of the wine, the glasses must be chosen for the structure, for the persistence of tannins, for typology and ageing.
Let's find out together how to combine the different shapes and sizes of glasses and goblets with the organoleptic characteristics of the wine.
How to choose the right glass for wine
Drinking a bottle of wine or sparkling wine must be a real experience. A journey through the flavors and smells that characterize that wine, through the history of the vines that make it up.
Choosing the right glass is the first step in embarking on this journey in the best possible way.
The different shapes and sizes of the glasses, in fact, are designed to best amplify the organoleptic characteristics of the wine and enhance its flavour.
Red wine glasses
Red wines are not all the same, which is why there are different types of glass for different types of red wines.
Young and fresh red wines are more “aggressive” and therefore need glasses which guide the wine towards the internal parts of the mouth to avoid, in the initial phase, contact with the gums which would be unpleasant.
For this reason, the most suitable glass is the Rhenish goblet , with a wide belly and a wide opening.
The aged and more full-bodied red wines, on the other hand, require the "ballon", a goblet with a pot-bellied cup that allows the right oxygenation.
White wine glasses
The goblet for white wine, especially the young and fresh one, is the classic “tulip” shaped goblet, with the opening wider than the body.
This shape, in fact, directs the wine to the tip of the tongue, an area more sensitive to sweetness and acidity.
On the other hand, full-bodied and mature white wines require glasses with a wider body and a straight opening which will direct the wine towards the lateral parts of the tongue and only then towards the tip.
Rose wine glasses
Rose wines are generally enhanced by glasses with an enlarged opening which allows the wine to be directed towards the tip of the tongue in order to make the wine more balanced.
Champagne glasses
We can distinguish two types of glasses for sparkling wines: the cup and the goblet.
The cup is generally suitable for aromatic sparkling wines, such as white and yellow Moscato. These wines, in fact, have a powerful olfactory expression and the ample shape of the glass manages to dilute this problem.
The sparkling wine glass, on the other hand, is certainly the best known and most used: it originates from the classic slender flute but has a larger and more convex shape to allow the wine to release all its aromatic variety.
