The Power of the Glass
Once you bring out your perfectly stored bottle of 1961 Chateau Petrus and your friends gasp in disbelief, it's time to serve that wine in a fitting container. A stemless plastic cup will not totally mask the wine's delicate bouquet, but better choices are available.
If you want the wine to sing, use the proper glass, which, unlike plastic, is inert and doesn't affect the taste of the wine. However, if your glass does not meet the following criteria, it will detract from your enjoyment of that wine.
Clean — You might think that goes without saying, but there are all sorts of lingering “contaminants” that can make a wine taste off. Even if you've done your best in washing the glass but haven't rinsed it well, it will have detergent residue. If you've dried it with a dirty dishtowel, it'll have the telltale odor. Even dust will affect the wine's taste.
Clear — Most wine enthusiasts will tell you it's important to see the wine — to check its clarity, to determine its age, or to just admire the color. A colored glass will not let you do any of those.
Thin — In case a wine is served too cold, a thin glass will warm it more quickly.
Stemmed — The stem is the handle of the wine glass. Holding the glass by the bowl more quickly warms the wine past its proper temperature.
Tulip-shaped — The bowl should narrow at the rim. This will keep you from spilling when you swirl. It will also capture the aromas and not let them evaporate before you get your nose to the glass to sniff.
Once you move beyond the basics of stemware, other details might be important to you. Crystal, with an inherently rougher surface than glass, will create more turbulence when you swirl your wine — adding to the aromas. If you want different glasses for reds and whites, the one for reds should have a rounder bowl than the one for whites because reds are generally more aromatic.
Buying Wineglasses
Do you need a different wineglass for each kind of wine? No. Do you want a different glass for each wine? Only you can answer that. It certainly depends on your interest, your budget, and your storage space.
If you're just starting a glassware collection, it's helpful to know which ones to buy first, second, and third. This is a logical approach to purchasing stemware:
Start out with a twelve-ounce glass. You might think that sounds pretty big considering that a typical serving of wine is four to five ounces. But you want to leave plenty of room for swirling. You can use this as an all-purpose glass for either red or white wine.
A Champagne flute should be next on the list. Champagnes are the only wines that shouldn't be served from an all-purpose glass. The flute is tulip-shaped to keep the effervescence contained. The sherbet-style glasses let the bubbles dissipate too quickly.
Now it's time for another all-purpose glass — either larger or smaller. It depends on whether you want to use it for red wines (which traditionally are served in the larger glass) or for white wines. This decision will depend on your personal preference. If you want to choose whatever is in fashion, opt for the larger one.
If you especially enjoy dessert wines and fortified wines, your next purchase should be a copita. It looks like a miniature version of the Champagne flute. The average serving size of a dessert wine is two to three ounces — so a smaller glass is called for.
