Does the wine glass matter?

There isn’t a beverage being drunk or an occasion, where the type of glassware being used doesn’t matter. Whether it’s a cocktail, wine, spirit, a night in alone, dinner party or event, there’s a glass to be used that enhances the taste of that beverage and the experience overall. When it comes to wine glasses, the type of wine that is being consumed, plays the biggest part in terms of what glass to use, but not necessarily the most important, as we’d argue that all the elements come together to curate an unimaginable experience. And an experience that cannot be enjoyed if any one of these elements were to be missing.

When drinking white wine, what is important in a wine glass?

White wines are generally consumed from narrower wine glasses. These wines have incredible and beautiful notes and aromas that need to be preserved in order to experience them and preservation is usually achieved through the design of a narrow bowl. However full-bodied wines are experienced more beautifully in a larger bowl. What this means is that from a design principle perspective, you could achieve both desired modern aesthetics, and maintaining the main purpose of the glass.

When drinking red wine, what is most important in a glass?

Red wines need to be aerated due to their tannic structure. Tannic structure refers to the amount of tannins released into wines that then directly correlates to the pigment and taste of the wine. Tannins generally come from the seeds, skin and stem of fruit and have a direct affect, not so much on the taste or aroma of the wine, but the texture in one’s mouth. The more tannins and the longer the fermentation period, the deeper the pigment of the wine and the greater the texture of tannins. Aeration is therefore a necessary process for red wines to soften the flavours and open up the aromas. A larger bowl is therefore needed for this, so the wine has the space to move and oxidate upon swirling.

How do the other elements of a wine glass play a part in the wine drinking experience?

You’ll notice the earlier paragraphs only make mention to the sizing of the bowls in relation to wine types. The beauty of the wine drinking experience is evidenced by the way you’re able to hold the glass, how elegantly each sip can be taken and feels and how you’re able to partake in essential pastimes of wine drinking, such as seeing the vibrancy of the pigment of the wine, smelling a whole host of aromas and swirling your wine to aerate it. This is achieved by having a lovely thin rim that allows for a smooth flow and uninterrupted satisfaction and a long and thin stem that allows for an elegant way to hold the glass and swirl the wine.

The wine glass therefore matters but not solely for the reasons that we think. Yes, wine glasses can be better suited to particular wines, however the type of glass and the design and dimensions of the glass are equally important factors. When drinking wine, if there isn’t a feeling of luxury, exclusivity, flirtation and ehanced flavours, its being done wrong. And the right way to do it, is to purchase the right glass. How do you know if it’s the right glass? Look at it…what do you think and feel? Hold it….what do you think and feel? Take it home, then drink from it…what do you think and feel. You’ll know at step 2, step three is to take the experience home with you.

"In essence, embodying and becoming a boujie somebody requires the right utensils and luckily for you, we know where you can find them."