The most important part of wine tasting is the shape of the wine glasses. Wine glasses create the balance of flavor needed to fully appreciate the tasting experience. A wine glass was made with the shape they have for very specific reasons.

The red wine glass incorporates a base, stem and large bowl and mouth to bring about the perfect glass for drinking red wine. The large round bowl helps to establish the unique bouquet belonging to each individual wine. The mouth is large to allow a person to sip their wine because red wine is made to be sipped.

The surface area of the bowl of the red wine glass helps to oxygenate and allows for a greater surface area to evaporate the wine. The character of red wine is strong and bold and the bowl allows for this taste to come through. Another function of the large bowl is to be used to hold the glass, keeping the wine at the desired room temperature.

A white wine glass consists of the same components as a red wine glass: the base, stem and bowl. The bowl of a white wine glass is tall and narrow, allowing for the much more delicate wine to have a focused bouquet. The tall stem of the white wine glass allows for the wine to stay at the cooler temperatures that white wine should be served at.

The white wine glass has a smaller mouth than a red wine glass which makes you tilt your head back in order to drink it. White wine is meant to be tasted towards the back of your palette. The part of the palette where you taste the wine is important to the wine tasting experience.

Another type of wine that requires its own glass is Champagne. A flute is the type of glass used for champagne. Flute wine glasses have a very tall and narrow bowl, much more narrower than a white wine glass, and this helps to maintain the bubbles for a long time.

As you can see, wine glasses serve the dual purpose of being a vessel to hold your wine and to also to create the perfect taste. Each type of wine will have its own special glass that should be used to enjoy the taste and smell to the fullest. Wine can also be paired with food to create an even greater experience.

White wine will pair perfectly with almost any type of seafood. Red wine goes great with red meat and surprisingly with chocolate. Feel free to play with food and wine combinations, but always remember to use the correct wine glasses!

Posted under Wine