Wine etiquette appeared long time ago, determining both the temperature of serving and shape of wineglasses for the specific kind of wine. Selecting a glass of particular style for a special kind of wine is important, as the glass shape can influence its perception.

These rules didn`t appear by chance: both drink temperature and style of glass are selected to reveal the taste of wine in full force and effect. In case if the taste of drink reveals at light heating, it is served in glasses with a round bowl which is convenient for holding in a palm. Body heat influences the drink and it allows feeling its hidden nuances of flavour. When wine should stay cold, it is served in a glass with a long stem or with a thick bottom.

Red wine glasses

Red wines usually tend to show deeply hidden shades when slightly heated. Therefore these drinks are served in wider bowl glasses with a spherical bowl on a stem, of middle length. It is convenient to hold a bowl of such wineglass in a palm.

According to etiquette a glass, in which red wine is served, has to be transparent, without colour, drawings, and patterns.

The size can be different: both small (180 ml) and big (450 ml.)

Red wine glass with a wide round bowl usually used for serving Burgundy wine, less often for Bordeaux. By the way, the types of glasses for Burgundy wine and for Bordeaux wine are slightly different.

White wine glasses

White wine usually served slightly cool. It is important to keep its temperature low so the glass is held by a stem. Therefore, a steam should be long and convenient. The bowl of glass is nor spherical, it is rather narrow and long in order to keep wine cool. Red wine glasses usually wide and round-bowled, white wine glasses are long and narrow. Their size usually is not big — seldom bigger than 250-300 ml.

One more essential difference: glass for white wine can be opaque, colored and patterned.

Champagne flutes

Sparkling wine has to be very cold, so the glass is held by a stem. It is served in so-called champagne flutes. Bowls of champagne flutes are higher and narrower, than of white wine glasses. The shape of bowl is designed in a manner to help to retain the signature carbonation in the beverage. Champagne should be served in the crystal wine glasses refracting light and emphasizing drink`s slight gassiness.

Cocktail glasses

Vermouth is an aromatized wine, a type of fortified wine flavored with various botanicals (roots, barks, flowers, seeds, herbs, spices).The most popular brands of vermouth are, of course, “Martini” and “Cinzano”.

In which glass should it be served? Usually pure vermouth is scarcely drinking. When something is added to vermouth, the drink turns into cocktail. Traditional glassware for cocktails is a cocktail glass with an inverted cone bowl. No wonder that Martini (not drink, but cocktail) was originally served in this glassware.

Pure vermouth is also served in cocktail glasses. Now this glassware is called: “a glass for martini” or “a glass for vermouth”, meaning that the glass includes pure drink. Size of cocktail glass is varied. Pure vermouth also could be served in low glass without stem, it is obligatory with the reinforced bottom promoting preservation of cool temperature. Some cubes of ice could be put in glass.

Glasses for sweet and fortified wine

As a rule, it is a copy of red wine glass, but considerably smaller size. Actually size usually no more than 75-100 ml. Distinctive feature — noticeable narrowing of a bowl up.

Also sweet wine could be served in conic glass of small size (in liqueur or cocktail shot glasses).

How to hold a wineglass?

According to etiquette, only red wine glass could be held by bowl. However, it is up to you: it could be held both by bowl and by stem. Glasses with other wines are held only by a stem.