Types of Wine Glasses for Red Wine

The shape of a red wine glass can change the taste of wine.

Choosing the proper red wine glass is an important step in serving wine. The shape and size of a wine glass is designed to accommodate different types of wine. Larger glasses allow wines to become oxygenated, which can help improve their taste while smaller glasses tend to be more appropriate for red wines with a large amount of tannins.

Young Red Wine Glasses

Younger red wines tend to be very high in tannin content. Pick a wine glass that has a large body to allow for oxygenation of the wine but with a small width. The smaller width of a wine glass will allow for the wine to mostly come in contact with the middle parts of the mouth. This can help eliminate the unpleasant astringent feeling of young red wines.

Mature Red Wine Glasses

A mature red wine should be served in a glass with a narrow opening. The narrow opening will help concentrate the aromas and bouquet of mature red wines. This red wine glass should also have a large body to help oxygenate the wine.

Full Bodied Red Wine Glasses

These wines glasses are very large and have a wide opening at the top. Once again, the large body will help aerate the wine and oxygenate it. The wide opening at the top of the glass will help direct the wine to the back of the wine drinkers mouth. Wines made with robust grapes will have very strong flavors that are enhanced by these large wine glasses.

Very Mature Red Wine Glass

Very similar to the shape of full bodied wine glasses, this wine glass has a large body with a large opening but is slightly curved below the mouth of the wine glass. Wines such as Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo are best served in this style of glass because it directs the wine towards the front of the tongue which is more sensitive to sweetness.

References

• DiWine Taste: Wine Glasses