Despite their many variants, wine glasses have the same basic structure. They consist of a foot, stem and (in many shapes) a goblet. The chimney is the space between the poured wine and the upper rim of the glass. The biggest difference is the shape of the goblet. The more bulbous the goblet, the larger the surface area of the liquid. And the longer or higher the chimney, the greater the volume. The larger the surface area and volume, the more intensively the fragrances can unfold. There are also wine glasses without stems, and some, as in wine taverns, with handles. These are only accepted by purists for drinking water or simple draught wines. Drinking a Grand Vin from Bordeaux darasu would be sacrilege. However, they are particularly popular in southern countries.
Choosing the right wine glasses
Choosing the right glasses is almost as important for optimum wine enjoyment as the right wine temperature. The guideline is to use generously proportioned glasses with a tapered goblet to retain the flavour and bouquet of the wine in the goblet. With a few exceptions, this applies to most wines.
For an acidic wine, you can also use a glass with a slightly wider bowl at the top. White wine glasses generally have a relatively small volume so that the wine does not heat up so quickly. Red wine glasses have a large volume; the large surface area allows the wine to absorb more oxygen and develop its bouquet better. However, this phenomenon is primarily dependent on the optimum ratio between surface area and volume. Such glasses are also known as Bordeaux glasses. Specially shaped glasses are also available for different grape variety wines, which may seem exaggerated.
Sweet wine and dessert wine
There are special glasses for sweet wine or dessert wine with a much smaller volume. As a rule, quantities of 0.1 litres are served. The...
