Which Wine Glasses to Use

Why does wine glass size and shape matter?

Wine is delicious in whatever size or shape it comes in, of course, but wine glassware has been designed to improve our wine drinking experiences by allowing the wine to be at its best when we sip it. So, even if choosing between a large glass or a medium one may seem trivial, we promise you it isn’t if you like the sound of maximising your enjoyment.

Specific glass shapes and sizes influence the aromas, flavours, mouthfeel and finish of a wine. But every wine style has different characteristics and intensity, so it isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation with your wine glass choice. For instance, some wines will benefit greatly from being aerated in a large glass, while other styles get their boost from only a small surface area of the wine coming into contact with oxygen while in the glass.

It’s all quite straightforward once you know the basic science behind it (…don’t worry, this is fun science because it involves wine!). Check out our handy diagram below for a quick overview, or scroll on past it for more of the juicy details for each wine style.

Red wine

When it comes to serving red wine, it’s all about aerating the wine by creating a large surface area of wine in the glass. Particularly with full and fruity reds, it helps to allow as much wine as possible to come into contact with the air before you start sipping. The reaction with the oxygen enables the aromas and flavours of the wine to breathe, so all of those lovely fragrances are even more expressive than they would be if you were serving this generally more complex style of wine in a small glass.

A good swirl of red in a large glass is enough to give the flavours a natural boost, however sometimes you may have a wine you feel deserves prolonged aeration so it can really shine. Decanting wine about half an hour before you plan to serve it to your guests will allow more time for the wine to react with the air, which can only be a good thing.

White wine

For white wine, it’s always best to reach for a medium-sized wine glass with a U-shaped bowl. This is because white wine isn’t enhanced by aeration like red wine is, so there is no real need for a large glass. The key feature of the medium-sized glass is actually it’s rounder shape, which has been designed to maintain the wine’s cool temperature.

It’s important to make sure the wine itself is chilled to a temperature that will achieve the best possible results when it’s time to serve. When it comes to storing wine, white wine is best kept in the fridge for a couple of hours before pouring (or 20 minutes in an ice bucket) so the bottle can cool to about 7-10°C. Once you’ve done this, feel free to grab your shapely medium-sized glasses and get pouring.

Rosé wine

For rosé wine, it’s best to use a smaller, medium-sized wine glass, just as you’d use for white wine. And, again, it’s usually best served chilled. That’s everything from crisp, light-bodied blush wines with elegant characteristics (like a Provence rosé) to sweeter, fruitier pink wines. Chill the bottle to around 7-10°C, and serve in a medium-sized glass that directs the delicate floral and fruit aromas to the top of the glass.

Sparkling wine

The famous Champagne flute isn’t just to make your bubbly look the part. It’s actually a very clever design, that strikes the perfect balance between containing the bubbles in the glass while allowing just enough surface area for you to detect the wine’s notes on the nose. Unlike with red wine, here it’s important that the surface area in the glass is small in order to minimise air contact, as this is what causes wine to lose its sparkle – and no one wants a flat fizz!

The bubbles in sparkling wine are a result of carbon dioxide that has been trapped in the wine during a second fermentation (either in a sealed wine bottle or a sealed tank). With nowhere to go, the pressurised environment causes the carbon dioxide to dissolve into the wine, creating that fizzy texture. The moment the bottle is opened and air comes into contact with the wine, the pressure is released (hence why there’s a certain knack to opening a bottle of sparkling wine without the cork exploding out of the neck) and it’s only a matter of time before those bubbles start to mellow.

Sweet wine

We’re talking the likes of port, sherry and dessert wines – which you may have noticed are often served in a smaller glass (sometimes even tiny!). The reason for this is simply that these wines have a higher alcohol content than dry wine, so the small glass provides an appropriate measurement for the ABV level. Being fortified (a winemaking method which is essentially adding extra alcohol to wine), Port and Sherry typically sit at around 18-20% ABV, so you only need a small amount. And dessert wines are usually higher in alcohol due to being made from extra sweet grapes (more sugar in the fruit juice = more alcohol in the wine).

With sweet wines, such as Sauternes or sweet Muscats, it’s worth chilling the bottle right down to 6-8°C before pouring into your small glass, as it adds a freshness that rounds off the sweet palate of the wine nicely. Same goes for Fino and Manzanilla Sherries. Port, however, is best sipped at room temperature, so (unless it’s an aged one that needs decanting) you can pour into your little wine glass straight away.