The Right Glass for Every Wine

This isn’t a lesson in etiquette, but rather some tips on how a glass can enhance the tasting experience and bring out the flavor of a wine. Having the right glass is an important part of enjoying wine more.

Last year, a team of Japanese researchers used a special camera to capture images of the alcohol vapors rising from a glass of wine. The reason why photographing alcohol vapors is important for understanding the shape a wine glass should have is that it allows us to understand how the aromas in the wine reach our nose.

White wines are generally served in glasses with a relatively narrow rim. This is used for:

preserve the floral aromas
keep it cold
to allow the greatest number of aromas to be perceived thanks to the closer proximity to the nose

Red wines are served in wider glasses.

They enhance the perception of aromas rather than alcohol content, thanks to the greater distance from the nose
a larger surface area to allow the alcohol to evaporate
make the wine go down more easily