When you think of drinking wine, it itself tells you that it is not just normal drinking but that drinking wine is an art. The very essence of drinking wine calls for it to be classy and elegant.
That is why it is important to understand how to drink wine and what type of glass to use, hold, and taste properly.
You have to taste wine a certain way. You can learn how to drink wine from a professional winemaker, and you could excel at it with time and practice.
When you are not at home but at some public place where you are with a group of people who know how to drink wine from a wine glass and you don’t, then this kind of situation seems a little awkward for you.
You need to learn some of the wine etiquettes, which act as a very powerful social interactive tool that breaks the ice and is a very good conversation starter.
Some of the most useful situations where wine etiquettes are kind of a win are at a party, formal gathering, or classy dinner date.
You already get brownie points if you are good with this habit of good etiquette while handling wine glasses, which is just amazing.
How To Choose The Right Wine Glass For Different Wines?
Contents
Different types of wine require different types of glasses for a reason. It depends on the type of wine you’re serving; you can learn more about it by watching videos online.
Mainly, they are four types of wines- red, white, sparkling, and rose, and for them, you could use different shapes of glasses, like goblets, regular glasses, and flute-shaped glasses.
Why It's Non-Negotiable To Hold Your Wine Glass Properly?
On one hand, it is practical and does affect your wine quality. On the other hand, etiquette is essential for you to follow.
When you are in a social group, follow wine etiquette rules. when you’re at a party with your friends or with someone who is drinking wine with you.
You can show them your skills in knowing wine etiquette, and that will impress others as well as create harmony among all, which is a very good practice.
Minimal Glass Damage
You won’t break your fine glass, but you can hold it so tightly that it slips out of your hand and causes damage to the wine glass, so proper wine glass holding technique is critical.
The Temperature of the Wine
If you hold a wine glass in the wrong way, that can result in tempering the temperature of the wine by warming the drink, which will ruin the experience you want while enjoying a glass of wine.
Significance Of Wine Glass Shapes/Sizes
The shape of a wine glass can affect divine aroma, oxygen reaction, and taste. You use a tall white wine glass with a narrow opening to allow only a little oxygen to enter the wine.
It does not affect the acidity of it, as this top is thinner; the smell goes straight into your nose, and it enhances the overall experience and equality of wine.
Red wine, on the other hand, is typically stored in larger glasses so that it is exposed to oxygen. It also aids in enhancing the taste and color as the wider top of the glass spreads the aroma into the air and increases the intensity, and the taste is much more subtle to enjoy.
Therefore, when you choose a wine glass, it is important to know that different wines require different types of glasses to consider before you drink wine.
The Anatomy Of Wine Glass
As the parts affect the wine experience, we will learn about different parts in a wine glass that makes a difference in the drinking experience of wine.
The Base
It is the bottom part of a wine glass that sits on a table; it is thicker than other parts of the glass because it holds weight, and it is wide; it varies in shape and size of the glass.
Holding a wine glass isn’t the main area of concern, but knowing about it helps.
The Stem
The stem is the main part of a wine glass, which helps in holding the wine. As you grab the wine glass from this area, a lesser amount of heat is generated and the wine does not get tempered.
The Bowl
The goblet or bowl is where you pour your wine, where it rests, and where you drink it. It’s the largest part of the glass, and it comes in different types and shapes.
The Rim
It is the opening of the bowl, where the glass opens for oxygen integration. As you might know, a glass with a broader body will be narrow at the rim to restrict the oxygen flow.
Holding The Wine Glass With Style And Class
Holding your wine glass with the stem lets you control the temperature and they make it look simple and lovely.
This type of glass is mostly used in social gatherings and wine-tasting events & you need to require holding techniques Of the glass with the stem in it.
Holding The Stem With Two Fingers And Your Thumb
- Provides stability
- Gives some strength
- Keep the wine glass upright
- Place your middle finger along with your index finger by one side of the stem, near the bottom
- Grip the other side of the stem with the help of your thumb, for a tighter grip
- Rest your other fingers at the end of the glass for that extra stability of the glass
Place With Index Finger And Thumb
- Provides control
- Slightly loose and free technique for better glass control.
- Place your hand on the lower half of the stem
- Wrap the index finger around the stem
- Use the balance of your them with the stem, for a stable grip
- Curl your other fingers Into your palm
Grab The Stem Above From The Base
- Excellent technique
- A bit advanced
- Provides glass control
- Doesn’t affect the wine temperature
- Use of three fingers like pinching the glass stem just above the base
- Use your middle finger and place it at the base’s bottom
- Rest your two fingers with ease in your palm
- The middle finger helps in supporting the spilling of the wine
Lever The Base With Your Thumb
- A unique method. Doesn’t engage with the stem
- Holding the base with three fingers
- At the base of the glass place your index and middle finger
- Place your thumb on the base’s top and pinch your thumb
- Curl up your other two fingers right into your palm. Just practice it before you do it in social gatherings
Techniques To Try Before You Drink Wine The Next Time
The following techniques could be tried before drinking wine-
- Hold the glass at the stem, smell the wine, sniff it, and don’t forget to taste it and get a hold of the flavor it carries
- Now drink from the same mark as where you already drank, as seeing marks from your mouth onto the glass, might not look so good, so always drink from the same spot
- When you are up for opening a wine bottle, remember that bottle needs to be opened in stealth mode, as if you were a ninja, with no noise
- When clinking wine glasses, remember to bang at the bell area, as this helps in reducing the fear of breaking the glass, and make sure you make eye contact with your clinking buddy
- Whenever you pour wine, just make sure that you hold the wine bottle at the base of the bottle
- While pouring the wine into the glass, just make sure to fill up the wineglass halfway, so that the wine has a great area to breathe
- Just remember to equally divide the wine amongst the people so that there’s no unequal distribution of wine for others around you.
- Make sure that you offer wine first to others and then to yourself.
- Hold your wine by the stem, not by the bowl, as this leaves behind unsightly marks on the bowl but also warms up the wine.
- Appreciate the wine you have; for that, you need to swirl the wine in your glass; when it comes in contact with the air, it releases its distinctively pleasant smell
- You can appreciate the wine; don’t forget to nose the wine and describe all the aromas you gather from the wine, just place your nose above the wine glass.
- Be expressive and elaborate on the aroma you just experienced while sniffing the wine
- Now, the test is to taste the wine; it’s never gulped down but is enjoyed slowly, sip by sip
- Just remember to hold the wine at the center of your tongue before you swallow it, Just move the wine inside your mouth and make it aerated for a more powerful and prominent taste
- Just learn and with time you could master this art as it just requires a lot of patience
Conclusion
Now that you might have an idea about how to drink wine in a sophisticated manner, drinking at a party wouldn’t be an issue any longer.
You just need to remember these simple steps and practice a lot before you try these wine etiquettes in public.
As we know practice makes a man perfect, then with time you can also be a professional wine drinker and this will be such a great thing to add to your social standards.