Do Wine Glasses Matter? How to Choose the Right Glass
Yes: the size, shape and rim of a glass change how much aroma reaches you and how the wine lands on the palate, so the same wine can taste noticeably different in two glasses. If you buy only one red wine glass, Georg Riedel's own advice at a Wine.com-attended tasting was a Syrah/Hermitage glass, the best all-round compromise for red wine.
1. One Good All-Purpose Glass Covers Most Homes
A smaller glass for white wine is more convention than rule.
Wine
Glass
Why
Red wine
A large bowl that narrows toward the rim
Room to swirl, and the rim gathers aroma
White wine
The same shape, often a little smaller
Convention more than necessity; an all-purpose glass works
Champagne and sparkling
A tall tulip that widens slightly in the upper third, or a white-wine glass
Shows aroma better than a narrow flute or a coupe
Sherry
A copita, a small, elongated tulip
Concentrates aroma for a small pour
Port
Similar to a copita but larger
Room for aroma with a smaller serving
Whatever the shape, a thin, smooth rim lets the wine land on the tip of the tongue, and a clear, plain bowl shows the wine's color.
2. A Side-by-Side Tasting Showed Shape Matters
At a private Riedel tasting in San Francisco, each wine was preferred by most of the room in its matching glass. The tasting was led by 10th-generation family member Georg Josef Riedel; guests tasted a Pinot Noir, a Syrah and a Napa Valley Cabernet blend from three glasses in Riedel's Vinum XL line: a Pinot Noir glass, a Syrah/Hermitage glass and a Cabernet Sauvignon/Bordeaux glass.
What the room found
The Cabernet glass, Riedel's best-selling red glass, flattered only Bordeaux varieties; it made an outstanding Syrah taste ordinary.
Riedel's recommendation for anyone buying just one red glass: the Syrah/Hermitage shape.
Shape, size and rim diameter shape how a wine's aroma, flavor, texture and finish come across.
3. Start With One Set, Then Add Varietal Glasses
Start with one set of good all-purpose glasses with a generous bowl and thin rim, then add varietal-specific glasses for the wines you drink most. Browse Pinot Noir to try in a Pinot glass.
Which wine glass should I use for red vs. white wine?
Use a glass with a large bowl that narrows toward the rim for red wine; for white wine the same shape, often a little smaller, works, and one all-purpose glass can serve both.
Do you need a different glass for every grape?
You do not need a different glass for every grape: a good all-purpose glass covers most wines, and varietal glasses are a refinement for the wines you drink most.
What glass should I use for Champagne?
A tall tulip glass that widens slightly near the top, or a white-wine glass, shows Champagne's aroma better than a narrow flute or a wide coupe.
Does the shape of a wine glass really change the taste?
Yes, the shape of a glass changes how much aroma reaches the nose and where the wine lands on the palate, which is why the same wine can taste different in two glasses.
