How to choose the right wine glass ?

How to find your way among all the ranges of wine glasses… colors, materials, sizes or even shapes ? Make the right choice thanks to Beaux-Vins !

You bought a good bottle of wine to treat yourself, but when you get there, it's the tragedy, you only have mustard glasses… — this is the tile —, but did you know that the choice of glass is almost as important as the choice of the bottle ? There are therefore a multitude of different glasses to best express the character of your precious liquid.. The difficulty therefore lies in choosing the right glass for your tasting..

Size and shape are the most important criteria for selecting a glass of wine. Since the generalization of the lens, the material plays a much less important role in the tasting of a wine. It is very difficult to tell a crystal glass from a crystal glass when tasting or even just by looking - the lens has entered 10 to 24 % lead, while the crystal has more than 24 % lead —.

The important thing is to avoid colored or chiseled glasses, but also on too thick glasses, because they give an impression of heaviness to the wine. Whether you like it or not, a wine glass has a stem.

The choice of glass by color of wine

Red wine glasses should be rounded and deep with a relatively large ventilation area. There are two very popular red wine glasses : Burgundy glass and Bordeaux glass. Burgundy glass is medium deep with a characteristic rim. Its rounded shape allows the aromas to be concentrated while allowing limited aeration of the wine. Bordeaux glass is more tapered, wider and deeper to allow maximum oxygenation.

In general, white wine glasses are taller and narrower than red wine glasses. There is of course an exception - it's way too easy otherwise —, the Chardonnay glass is very wide and flared to allow good air circulation.

There are three types of Champagne glass : tulipe, flute and cup. The glass must be tight to the foot, have a slender profile and should be tightened up to concentrate the aromas. The goblet is the best champagne glass shape to avoid. The wide cut has only drawbacks when tasting : the aromas are not concentrated, the excitement wears off quickly and holding it is a real balancing act. The shape gives the impression of splashing around in a swimming pool and we quickly tend to swallow its contents.

INAO universal glass

INAO glass is a glass recognized by the National Institute of Designations of Origin. It has all the characteristics a glass needs to allow you a tasting in good conditions.. Of course, its universal character does not allow it to be the best revealer of certain aromas and tastes, but it is still very good for any wine. This is the minimum union present in most tastings.

Advice and conclusion

You get the point, choosing the right glasses to taste wine is not an easy thing. Shape and openness play a key role in making your choice. Moreover, having beautiful glasses adds a little extra to your tasting and will delight your guests.

As I told you at the beginning of this article, there are still a multitude of possibilities such as Alsatian glass and its large recognizable foot, Beaujolais Nouveau glasses or rosé wine glasses - we could write a whole book about tasting glasses —. But you also have to use the glass correctly so that it reveals all the character of the wine.

The ideal fill level is at the shoulder of the glass, the widest part of the glass. This represents almost 12 cl of wine and a third of the height of the glass. This quantity is ideal for the wine to express itself fully. More filled, it is difficult to spin your glass without putting it all over the place and encourages you to drink like a duck…

To wash your glasses, do not use your dishwasher. The products will leave stubborn odors and reduce the formation of champagne bubbles. Just wash them in hot water with no product or sponge. With your finger, lightly rub the upper part of the glass on the inside and outside.

To wipe your glasses, you can use fabric 100 % linen or allow them to drain before storing in a clean, odor-free place - cardboard is a bad idea —. Before reusing them, remember to smell them to make sure there are no unpleasant odors.