For the purpose of this blog, I am going to refer obviously to wine glasses but most importantly, parts of the glass too. This illustration can help you understand:

It may not seem like an important factor, but your choice of wine glass can have a big impact on how your wine tastes. Different wine glasses use different shapes to aerate the wine in various ways or direct the wine to different parts of your mouth, which changes the scent and flavour of the wine. And if you use the wrong glass, you could end up completely changing the way you experience your wine. So how can you ensure that your wine glass helps you taste wine in the way it was meant to be tasted? Here’s what you need to know.

DRINKING A RED WINE? GO FOR A WIDE-BOWL GLASS WITH A FLARED RIM

Typically, red wines have a full body and a strong flavour, with a number of different aromas that you’ll experience at different times. But the aroma of red wine is highly dependent on exposure to the air. As more oxygen binds with the wine and changes its structure, it unlocks new and different scents and flavours. If you pour your red wine into a white wine glass, the opening isn’t large enough for this oxidation process to happen – and what you get is a bland, single-flavour red that never becomes the unique and ever-changing experience it was meant to be. That’s why you’ll want to use a wide-bowl glass with a flared rim if you’re drinking a red – The larger opening and deeper curves of the glass allow the wine more of an opportunity to take on the complex flavours you’d expect from a red wine.

WHITE WINE LOVER? A TALL, U-SHAPED GLASS IS YOUR FRIEND

White wines can also have complex flavour profiles, but in order to properly taste a white wine, you need to ensure your wine stays chilled and is free from the influence of oxygen. A white wine is best enjoyed when it’s only been exposed to a bit of oxygen – too much oxidation can change the flavour profile and mask a lot of the more subtle aromas. A tall, U-shaped glass prevents oxidation and keeps the wine from warming – which is important because white wines are meant to be served chilled. And with an older white, like an oaked white wine, a tall glass will help you taste the wine’s bolder flavours by directing the wine to the back of your tongue.

SPARKLING WINE GLASSES: LOOK FOR A NARROW, FLUTE-LIKE SHAPE

Sparkling wine is a kind of wine that contains a high concentration of carbon dioxide. The problem with carbon dioxide, though, is that it can dissipate quickly. That’s why you’ll want to ensure that you drink your sparkling wines in a tall, narrow glass, like a champagne flute. Narrower glasses mean the wine’s surface area is smaller, which helps to keep the wine carbonated longer – so your bubbly doesn’t go flat.

Using the wrong kind of wine glass can change your wine’s flavour – sometimes making it taste terrible. But with the right glass, you’ll get to experience a wine the way the winery intended, discovering all of its flavours in the right order.