Written by Barbara Toombs

Okay, I admit it. Despite my attempts at being ever so worldly, I have been known to drink wine out of something so lowly as a plastic cup (desperate situations call for desperate measures, after all). But even in my early wine-loving days I knew certain types of wine called for certain types of glasses, although that knowledge didn’t really go much beyond realizing that there were red wine glasses and white wine glasses. And I certainly didn’t really know why there had to be different glasses for different types of wine. But the experts seem to agree that using the right glass can have a huge effect on the pleasure derived from a wine.

Ready for your basic Wine Glass 101 class? Here we go.

First, when choosing a wine glass, make sure the glass is plain and clear. That means no colored glass and no frosted glass. Why? To allow you to appreciate the wine’s color. Blown glass is generally considered the best; even crystal (unless of the finest quality) can distort the view of the wine.

These days, the big question seems to be, “Stem or no stem?” There are different schools of thought. My husband, who at times is rather like a bull in a china shop, fares rather better with the stemless variety (less likely to tip). Traditionalists argue that stems are a must, to avoid the heat of your hand warming the wine in the glass. But others say that warming is minimal. Many restaurants in Italy serve up their table wine in glass tumblers, in fact, and these are also becoming popular. To stem or not to stem is really up to you!

Since most wine glasses are stemmed, you may as well know that experts agree that the glass should be held by the stem only—whether you’re drinking red or white wine. This not only ensures that your body heat (no matter how minimal) doesn’t warm the wine, but it keeps fingerprints, which disrupt inspection of the wine, off the bowl of the glass. Ideally, glasses should be about the same temperature as the wine you are serving.

The most important elements in choosing the correct wine glass, however, are size and shape. The size should be large enough to allow a generous pour with plenty of room to swirl, which releases the aromas from the wine. The shape of the wine glass dictates how much air comes in contact with the wine (the amount of oxygen the wine is exposed to can considerably affect its taste), as well as how the aroma is directed towards the nose—and even how the wine itself is channeled into the mouth. Wider-mouthed glasses direct the wine toward the back of the tongue, giving more emphasis to the acidity, while those with narrower mouths (and sometimes with a slight outward curve to the edges) channel the wine to the tip of the tongue, which responds to sweetness. Wider bowls are for stronger wines, allowing more space for the wine to breathe, a wider bouquet, and a more pleasurable experience.

Here’s a quick guide to wine glasses:

As any aficionado knows, drinking wine is a truly sensorial experience, utilizing all five senses: sight (assessing the color and clarity), smell (the intense and appealing aromas), touch (when the wine comes into contact with our tongues), taste (the delightful distinction of sweet, acidic, or crisp hitting your tastebuds), and hearing. Your wine glass alone appeals to that auditory sense—when you clink it together with another, enjoying not only the tonality of the glass, but the act of expressing good wishes to others.

Cheers!