Despite their many variations, wine glasses have the same basic structure. They consist of a foot, stem and goblet. The space between the poured wine and the upper rim of the glass is called the chimney. The biggest difference is the shape of the goblet. The more bulbous the goblet, the greater the surface area of the liquid. And the longer or higher the chimney, the greater the volume. The larger the surface and the volume, the more intensively the fragrances can unfold. There are also wine glasses without stems, some with handles. Such glasses are only accepted by purists for drinking water or for simple draught wines. Drinking a Grand Vin from Bordeaux from such a glass would be sacrilegious. But they are very popular, especially in southern countries. In the following, we will assume classic wine glasses.
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The glossary is a monumental achievement and one of the most important contributions to wine knowledge. Of all the encyclopaedias I use on the subject of wine, it is by far the most important. That was the case ten years ago and it hasn't changed since.
Andreas Essl
Autor, Modena