Tag: Glasses

Types of Wine Glasses

Posted on

Wine glasses come in many shapes and sizes. The structure of the glass is designed to enhance the flavor and aroma of the wine so it is important to choose the right glass for the wine you are drinking. The shape of the glass determines several things: how much surface area is exposed to the air, how much wine can be swilled in the glass, how close your nose can get to the wine, and where the wine falls on your palate as you drink.

If you are drinking champagne for instance, it is proper to use a champagne flute. The champagne flute’s tall, narrow design forces our nose outside of the glass and causes the wine to fall further back on the palate as we tip our head back. In addition to keeping the wine carbonated, the narrow opening at the top of the glass minimizes the surface area that is exposed to the air and keeps the flavor clean and crisp. Since we want to slow oxidization in champagne, there is no need to have a wide bowl for swirling the wine around.

With white wines, a bit more reaction with the air is desirable so the glass is wider and shorter than a champagne flute. A white wine glass is designed to allow a moderate rate of oxidization, enough to release the bouquet of the wine while retaining its crispness. White wine glasses vary as much as the white wines themselves so it cannot be said that there is one standard. In some cases, like with a buttery chardonnay, a wider bowl that you can get your nose into is preferable and may not look like a white wine glass at all. Generally speaking, the crisper the wine is to be kept, that narrower the glass.

Finally, red wine glasses are generally the biggest, having wide bowls and large mouths. These glasses are designed so that a large surface area is exposed to the air and so that the wine can be swilled around to infuse more air while drinking. Some red wine glasses can be quite tall, forcing the wine to sit further down in the glass, keeping the aromas in the glass but the mouth is always wide enough to get your nose in there while taking a sip.

These are the three basic types of glasses and are representative of the spectrum. Between these glasses though there is every size, shape, and style imaginable, each enhancing their own varieties of wine.

More Zinfandel Wine Articles

Wine Glasses Gifts

Posted on

Wine Glasses Gifts such as Hand Painted Wine Glasses by Mo Mo Panache are a fantastic gift idea to give for any occasion. This beautiful range of glasses are all hand painted meaning no two are exactly alike. Featuring a variety of stylish and colourful designs, these stunning glasses will make your wine taste even better! Let’s face it, anyone who likes wine would love their own special glass to drink out of. These beautiful glasses are like a little work of art – a great addition to any table. With such a gorgeous selection to choose from there is something to suit any taste and any dining table. Hand painted wine glasses look fantastic at a dinner party and are a great talking point too. If you have several different glasses from the collection, not only will they look visually stunning and really liven up the look of your table, but each of your guests will have their own unique glass. So why not match the glass to their personalities. With glasses in the range named Bliss, Glow and Diva you can have fun seeing which suits each of your friends. The Bride To Be Wine Glass is a very popular choice and one of our best sellers. This glass is a fantastic gift idea to give on a hen night. Not only does it give the bride to be her own special glass to drink from that night but she can keep it to use again in the future and will always be reminded of her fun final night of freedom. This hand painted wine glass can also be given to the Bride to Be on the morning of her wedding as she and her bridesmaids have a little drink to calm their nerves before the big day. This glass is presented in a beautiful gold and white gift box and contains a white bow for you to put on yourself before you give the gift. It really makes a stunning gift that any bride will love. Birthday Wine Glasses, Bride to Be Wine Glasses and Thank You Wine Glasses (amongtst others) are a quirky and original gift idea which make an ideal presnet whatever the occasion. The range includes glasses designed for specific occasions such as 21 Forever and Happy Birthday but there are more general ones like the Congratulations glass which can be given at the birth of a new baby, for passing exams, getting a new job or announcing an engagement. The ‘Fab Mum’ hand painted wine glass is the perfect present for Mothers Day but would be lovely to give any time of the year just to let your Mum know how much she means to you. A great Valentines Day gift is the My Special Moments Love You hand painted wine glass which is decorated with lots of little red love hearts and comes in a beautiful red and white spotted gift box. The Mo Mo Panache Love Wine Glass is another lovely Valentines gift idea – the decoration around the glass is of 4 large red hearts with gold detail. The perfect way to say ‘I love you’! Each wine glass gift comes with a pretty charm which sits around the stem at the base of the glass. Each charm features a little message related to the theme of the glass and these are removable. The perfect gift for the wine lover in your life!