When it comes to wine, it’s not just about sipping and enjoying your wine; there’s a lot more to it. As corny as it may sound, knowing how to handle your wine glass is crucial. It will not only save you embarrassment in the future, but it will also improve the taste of your wine.
The majority of individuals handle their glasses incorrectly. Some grip the glass's bowl, while others grip the stems. While the way you
hold your wine glass could be a matter of personal preference, holding your wine glass correctly will help you not only improve the taste of your wine but also reduce the amount of wine that flows into your mouth.
There are different types and shapes of wine glasses some are wide, narrow, stemless and some with stem. All stemmed wine glasses should be held with your thumb, forefinger, and middle finger at the base of the stem. Other fingers will naturally rest on the base. As daft as it may appear, there are a couple of reasons why holding a glass by the stem has become an essential part of the wine experience. One reason is to avoid leaving finger prints on the bowl; another is holding the wine glass by the stem allowing the wine to stay cooler for long, allowing the temperature to be maintained. Lastly, it makes it easier to swirl the wine glass, allowing the wine to liquefy and enhance the flavor, hence improving the drinking experience.
Since red wines requires more surface area to release it aroma, the type of glass with a larger bowl
would well suit this. It is of this reason that some people serve red wine in a decanter. While white wines glasses have a narrower bowl and are used to serve bottles of wines like chardonnay or rosé. Sparkling wines are typically served in champagne flutes, stemmed glassware with tall and narrow bowls that preserve the bubbles in the wine and keep the bubbles from tickling your nose.
If you’re not sure how to hold your stemless glass, here’s a suggestion;
Hold your stemless glass in the same way that you would a water glass. Hold it from the bottom, rather than the top center. Don't grip the glass too
tightly to prevent breaking it.. That is not a scenario you would want to be in while in public.
As difficult as it is to avoid touching the bowl with stemless glassware, maintaining the right temperature of your drink in a stemless glass is as challenging. The deal breaker when it comes to stemless glass is that you should only hold your glass when you wish to sip your wine.
Examples of Wine Glasses With Type Of Wine That Goes With It
1. The Sauternes glass, also known as a dessert wine glass, is ideal for sweet wines because it emphasizes the acidity, balancing the wine's sweetness and luxurious finish. Thus, making a significant contribution to the balance of the fresh characters while emphasizing the wonderful fruit aromas.
When sipping wine, the sauternes glass should be held towards the base of the stem between your thumb, forefinger and middle finger.
This dessert wine glass is ideal for the Marssanay Huguenot wine because it is designed to highlight the acidity of sweet wines, balancing the wine’s sweetness and luscious finish. A lot of oxygen is exchanged with the wide bowl, releasing aromas that emphasize the sweet fruit notes.
If you have never tasted the Marsannay Huguenot wine, you are definitely missing out. The Marsanny Huguenot, is a delectable ruby red with a nose of cherry, strawberry, mushroom, and a hint of smoke. It has a soft, succulent texture with perfectly balanced tannins and acidity, and it is fresh with hints of spice and toast. Beef, veal, or poultry are ideal matches for this wine. This wine is well-balanced, complex, and perfumed. You need to try it.
The Marsannay Huguenot wine and the Sauternes glass can be purchased through our Le Decanter website and store.
2. The champagne glass perfect for Champagnes and sparkling wines they come in two forms; flute and coupe. The flute champagne glass goes well with Charles Mignon champagne.
Charles Mignon is a balanced and aerial champagne that is fresh and fruity best enjoyed in a champagne glass. The nucleation in a champagne glass aids in the formation of the wine's bubbles; however, too much surface area allows carbonation to quickly fizzle out. More bubbles produce more texture in the mouth,
and a flute with a deep bowl allows for more visual effects from the bubbles.The glass is to be held by the stem when sipping to avoid warming the drink.
The flute glass and the Charles Mignon Champagne can be bought through our website or from our store at ABC Place, Westlands.
Sharpen your wine etiquette skills by booking a private wine tasting session or through attending our monthly wine events. Reach out? call 0729867403.
Once you understand how to hold your wine glass and the drinks that goes with it, you can break all the rules. It makes absolutely no difference how you hold a glass as long as you have a glass of wine in your hand and are enjoying it. Sip back and relax!
