Types of Glasses for Wine

Everyone knows you need a glass to drink wine, but not everyone knows that there are specific types of glasses designed for different types of wine. Each type of glass is shaped to bring out the textures and flavors in different wines.

Bordeaux Glasses

Few people are aware that there are two types of red wine glasses, each shaped a little differently. Red wine glasses tend to be wider, and Bordeaux glasses are the taller of these. Bordeaux glasses are intended for drier flavors, such as Cabernet or Merlot.

Burgundy Glasses

Burgundy glasses, often called balloon glasses, are very wide but not very tall. Their openings, which are wider than those of Bordeaux glasses, are meant to direct the flavors of more delicate red wines, such as Pinot Noir, toward the tip of the tongue.

White Wine Glasses

White wines are usually served chilled, and their glasses are generally taller and less broad to allow you to appreciate flavors with the whole mouth. The crisp, clean taste is preserved by an opening slightly smaller than the widest point of the glass, which is the identifying feature of white wine glasses.

Champagne Flutes

Champagne flutes are probably among the most easily identified types of wine glasses. They are very tall and very narrow, often with almost straight sides. Their shape, a modification of the white wine glass, is meant to facilitate the carbonation of champagne without producing oxidation.

Wine Tumblers

While wine glasses with stems are the first to come to mind, stemless glasses known as tumblers are becoming more popular. These glasses have the same shapes as traditional glasses, but they sit flat on the table. Normally, these are used as red wine glasses, but almost all shapes can be found as tumblers.

References

• What are the Different Types of Wine Glasses?
• Stemless Wine Glasses

Resources

• Types of Wine Glasses