Wine Glasses 101

While thumbing through this month's Traditional Home Magazine (yes, I do subscribe to that), I ran across this handy little article: In Grape Shape, which was an interview with Georg Riedel, who owns the glass company, Riedel Glas Austria. . Basically, our new friend Georg ran us through the different kinds of wine glasses, and why they are used for specific wines.

Being a self-proclaimed "wine-enthusiast" myself, I thought it may be fun to share some of these little factoids with you, in hopes that you will enjoy it as much as I did! If anything, you can now impress your dinner/cocktail hour guests with some of this knowledge. Prepare to take your intimidating factor up a bit!

Cabernet Sauvignon:

Merlot:

Pinot Noir:



Chardonnay:

Pinot Grigio:

Sauvignon Blanc:

Red Wines:

The large bowl shape offers a wider mouth, and more exposure to the air. Larger bowls are particularly good for the more complex reds like Pinot Noir. FYI - the larger bowls have the most surface exposure to the air (aeration is VERY important for red wine). The narrowing "tulip" tips allow for you to swirl your wine like a pro while not spilling a bit!

The narrower glasses, like those for Merlot and Cab direct the scent straight to the nose.

White Wines:

It is not as important to aerate white wine. For this reason, most white wine glasses have a narrower bowl. The only exception for this is Chardonnay, which is typically more robust than other lighter whites. The "oaky" Chards call for the larger bowls, while the lighter, "non-oaked" ones are good in the narrower glasses. 

Now go forth and host a wine party with your new knowledge! Don't forget to invite me :)