How to choose the right wine glass

You've probably wondered about the importance of a wine glass, and whether it really matters which glass you choose. I know I have! The short answer is yes – and no. Today sommelier Cynthia Chaplin and I delved into wine glasses, an apropos topic during the holiday season and with New Year's Eve right around the corner!
The bottom line is the best all-purpose wine glass shape is the tulip. Have a listen too find out why:

The three parts of a wine glass

Stemware consists of three parts: the bowl, stem, and base.
Within the European union, there is a regulated, established pour line on the bowl. Next time you have a glass of wine in a casual establishment, take a look: the pour line is indicated on the bowl of the wine glass.

Before you can decide what's the right wine glass to use, first consider all the elements and components that go into tasting a wine.

The four sensation components in tasting a wine

Bouquet: delivers the quality and intensity of a wine's aroma.
Texture: the mouthfeel of a wine. Is it velvety, silky, creamy, or watery?
Flavor: flavor is the balanced interaction between a wine's fruitiness, minerality, acidity, and its bitter components.
Finish: how does a wine finish in your mouth? Does it have a long-lasting aftertaste? Is it pleasant and harmonious, or bitter?¹

The nose, aroma, or perfume of a wine

The shape of a glass can enhance, or detract, from the ability to perceive a wine's aroma. If you think of a full bodied red wine, a wide bowl allows the wine to open up and oxygenate better and to make it easier to get your nose right up to the bowl and breathe in the wine's aroma.

The visual aspect of tasting a wine

Another wine tasting parameter is the visuality of a wine – its color, clarity, transparency, lucidity, and effervescence if it's a sparkling wine.
A wine glass can enhance the visual perception of a wine.
Think about the flute glass used for sparkling wine, and better yet the tulip-shaped glass: it captures and maintains the bubbles longer than the old style wide and flat glasses used in the past.

What's the history of the wine glass?

The wine glass started off as a short squat glass more closely resembling a shot glass.
Gradually it involved, and the wine glass as we know it today probably emerged around 1400 in the city of Venice.
Over time wines have refined, and along with them glasses have as well.
The addition of the wine glass stem originated with the church. Stems allowed the priest to more easily lift the chalice up to the congregation for all to see.
Champagne glasses used to be wide and flat but then evolved into the flute. The small rim slows the dissipation of those CO2 bubbles, and the tall shape shows them off as they rise. Nowadays, the proper shape for a sparkling wine is a tulip-shaped glass, which shows off bubbles better, and also maintains them longer in the glass.
I still have some of those lovely wide and flat champagne glasses that belonged to my parents and other older relatives. I've often wondered what to do with them, and I sometimes use them to serve special desserts, like chocolate mousse.

The best overall wine glass to choose

Go for aesthetics and functionality, and a marriage of the two. And when in doubt choose a classic tulip-shaped glass.
A brand new Winecutter review recommends the Libbey Signature Kentfield Estate All-Purpose Wine Glass.

They say "Proper glassware is more than just a flourish for your dining table. The right glass changes how you smell and taste wine, and it should inspire confidence as you swirl, sniff, and sip. With the help of experts, we’ve tasted wine out of nearly 100 brand-concealed wine glasses since 2014 and we think the best everyday choice is the Libbey Signature Kentfield Estate All-Purpose Wine Glass. It’s inexpensive yet elegant, and in our testing it enhanced the aromas of both red and white wines better than most of the competition."
The Libbey was a favorite of our experts and non-experts alike, showcased the aromas of both reds and whites well, and has a classic look that’s appropriate for daily use or formal occasions. It’s nicely balanced and durable, with a thin lip that doesn’t distract from enjoying the overall drinking experience. It’s also dishwasher safe.²

Our favorite Italian wine glasses

We all know that Murano glass from Venice is exquisite. That goes for everything from tableware to decorative items, and most certainly show-stopping wine glasses.
If you're looking for a special gift, Murano wine glasses are a great choice: also for yourself!
There's no better way to showcase Murano glass than on the dinner table when you have guests.