The choice of glass is essential if you want to respect the art of wine tasting. Here is some information to help you choose the right size and shape of wine glass for a tasting.
Choosing a wine glass with your senses
To ensure the right choice of a wine glass during a tasting, the use of your 3 senses is essential. First, use your sight. Wine glasses should always be transparent.
Colored, decorated and smoked glasses should be avoided. This would spoil the real color of the wine. Second, use your sense of smell. When tasting wine, you should smell the aromas it develops. Therefore, you should choose a glass with a wide base to allow for an oxygenation surface. To concentrate these aromas, the wine glass should be narrower at the rim. And finally, use taste as well. Even if a wine is of very good quality, a glass that is too thick would waste the tasting. So, a wine glass should be thin about 1 mm so as not to interfere with your mouth.
The choice of the size of the wine glass
The size of the glass is a determining element for the wine. The bigger it is, the better the oxygenation will be. Thus, the size of the wine glass plays a big role in determining the reaction towards the wine and its evaluation during its tasting. To enjoy tannic wines, choose a glass that can hold 40 to 45 cl. For lighter wines, choose glasses that can hold 30 to 45 cl. For light red wines use wine glasses that hold 40 to 45 cl. For rosé wines and dry white wines, use smaller glasses, but do not use containers smaller than 30 cl. For sweet white wines, do not serve them in a large glass as this will cause them to lose their aromas. The ideal is a 28 to 35 cl container. Additionally, sparkling wines require glasses that can hold 25 to 30 cl.
The shape of the wine glass
The shape of the wine glass is also an essential criterion to enjoy a perfect tasting. For red wines, choose Burgundy glasses with rounded shapes and narrow openings. For tannic wines, choose Bordeaux glasses with a wider opening and a more tapered shape. For champagne and crémant, choose flute-shaped glasses or glasses that are tight at the stem and then widen and have a slightly rounded shape. Finally, to save money, you can use universal glasses with a classic rounded shape that can be adapted to a large number of wines.