Glasses matter! The glass you choose will affect how you experience the wine you pour into it. But how best to match the wine to the glass?
For starters, select a clear glass. We taste with our eyes as well as our nose and mouth. The visual appeal of the wine is our first introduction to it and that requires a glass you can see through that doesn’t impart any colors of its own. It doesn’t have to be fine crystal but a thinner lip is often preferred so the glass doesn’t distract from the tasting process. The glass should add to the enjoyment and not draw attention to itself for being awkward or clumsy. Think of it as having a glass that is worthy of the wine.
Cabernet Sauvignon: A big, bold red like a Cab Sauv deserves a big, bold glass, and that’s what the Bordeaux glass delivers. The glass is taller and narrower than its Burgundy counterpart. According to Winemaker Brent Stone, there are two main advantages of this glass for Bordeaux wines like a Cab, with their more robust tannins and higher alcohol levels. First, the height of the glass. This helps some of the alcohol dissipate while keeping the wine further from the nose, so that the burn of the alcohol doesn’t interfere with the aromatics of the wine. Second, the width of the glass. A Bordeaux glass is the largest type, exposing more of the wine’s surface area to oxygen, which helps to open up the nose and soften some of the tannins. “This helps achieve that soft velvety texture that people really look for in Bordeaux varieties,” Brent says.
Pinot Noir: Oregon is famous for outstanding Pinot Noir so it should come as no surprise that an “Oregon Pinot Glass” would be invented. This “New World” glass is distinguished by its fluted flare at the top that is designed to showcase the wine’s aromatics and help boost them out of the glass. But don’t feel obliged to use the Oregon Pinot glass when drinking Oregon Pinot. Associate Winemaker Matt Danner says his favorite glass for enjoying Pinot Noir is an Old World Burgundy glass with its wide bowl that narrows at the top to trap and encapsulate a lot of the very elegant, complex aromatics that distinguish the wine. The opening in the Old World glass “allows the more fruit-forward elements to come straight from the glass as you’re tasting,” Matt says.
White Wine: A universal glass is the true Goldilocks of wine glasses – not too big and tall, not too short and round, but just right. This all-purpose glass is commonly found in tasting rooms and restaurants because it works well with any kind of wine. It is especially well suited for most white wines. A little smaller and narrower than the red wine glasses, the universal glass helps funnel the delicate floral and fruit aromatics characteristic of white wine right to your nose. There are some exceptions, however. For richer bodied wines like a Chardonnay or Viognier, a bowl-shaped glass similar to the Bordeaux glass is a solid choice. With its more open design, this style of glass helps the wine’s aromatics come together and open up. The flavors and aromas develop as the wine is swirled in the bowl, revealing more layers in the process.
Sparkling Wine: Glass options for sparkling wine run the gamut, from the short and squat (yet still elegant) coupe to the tall and slender flute. A coupe is a shallow bowl on a short stem. Retro in style, it is reminiscent of the Roaring ‘20s and great for a sparkling wine cocktail. (It was not in fact modeled after the shape of Marie Antoinette’s breast although the legend persists.) A flute, with its graceful shape and classic New Year’s Eve look, shows off the wine’s bubbles and is probably most popular. But sparkling wine aficionado Kelsey Knutzon, King Estate’s Lab Manager, says her favorite glass is the classic white wine glass or universal glass because it combines the best of the coupe and the flute. “It provides the most room in the glass to capture all those nice aromas of brioche and citrus, with enough height to enjoy the bubbles,” she says.
Bottom line? Choose the glass that suits you best. Certainly the shape of the glass influences our perception and taste of the wine, but, as with all things wine, it ultimately comes down to preference.
