What kind of wine glasses do you need?

While we fully support the drinking of wine out of whatever vessel you have available, there are some strong arguments for drinking wine out of the “proper” glass. Wine glasses are designed to improve the wine drinking experience of particular types of wine. Their different shapes allow for temperature preservation, delivering aromas, and more.

First, take a look at the different parts of the wine glass.

We’re going to break down which glasses deliver the best drinking experience for different types of wine so that you can choose the right glass everytime.

White Wines

White wines are best served in glasses with a smaller bowl, however the width of the bowl can vary based on the category of white wine.

A smaller bowl preserves floral aromas, expresses acidity, and maintains a cool temperature.

Lighter, sweeter white wines like our Traminette do better in tall, slim bowls. Heavier, more full-bodied white wines like Chardonnay are better with a larger bowl with a wide mouth that helps emphasize the creaminess. 

Red Wines

There are three main types of red wine glass. Some red wine glasses help smooth spiciness, or cut bitterness. 

Large bowl glasses help to accentuate aromas and mitigate the burn of the ethanol since the wine is further from the nose. A larger surface area allows the ethanol to evaporate more efficiently and deliver a smoother finish.  

Spicy wines like Malbecs do well in medium-sized red wine glasses. Medium-sized glasses allow the drinker to enjoy more of the subtleties in the flavor, and also calm spice in the wines by pouring more slowly from a smaller opening. 

Sweeter or more aromatic red wines like our Frontenac are best enjoyed in a glass with a large round bowl. This helps collect and preserve the aromas to really enhance the flavors.

Port

Port wines like our Blue Blood are very high in alcohol. These are best served in smaller glasses with a narrow opening. These features reduce evaporation to preserve the flavor.

Will you be buying a variety of glasses, or just the one right for your favorite kind of wine? We hope you try our wines with the glasses described above! If you do, let us know if you can taste a difference using different glasses!

Written by Tanglewood Winery
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