Wine Archives - Page 3 of 3

There Is A Right Way To Hold A Wine Glass! It only makes sense to learn how to handle a wine glass if you have determined that it is the appropriate vessel for your wine. There is a proper way and a wrong way to hold a wine glass, and there is a difference between the two. Although it may not seem essential to explain how to hold a wine glass, there is a difference. Stemware is used to serve wine because the temperature at which wine is delivered may have a significant effect both on the flavor of the wine and the amount of pleasure that it provides. Because the heat from your palm can rapidly warm the liquid, wine glasses should always be held by the stem of the glass rather than the bowl. This will prevent the wine from becoming too warm. If you warm a wine beyond the temperature at which it is best served, it will take on qualities that are undesirable and unappealing. If the wine is served at a temperature that is higher than 74 degrees Fahrenheit, the alcohol in the wine will cause the flavor to be more astringent, sometimes known as "bitter." Many individuals make the mistake of holding a wine glass by the bowl, which is a very normal way to do so. This will not only heat up the wine, but it will also make it difficult to examine the wine's purity and color in the glass. Additionally, fingerprints left on the bowl of the glass will make it harder to see the wine within as well as diminish the overall aesthetic appeal of the wine glass. If the wine glass tips forward when held by the stem, this indicates that it has most likely been filled over its intended capacity. It is normal practice to fill a wine glass no more than one-third to one-half of its capacity. In recent years, there has been a movement for wine glasses that do not have stems. These could be OK for more relaxed settings, but they eliminate all of the advantages of drinking wine from a stemmed glass. In a similar vein, if you drink wine out of colored glasses, you won't be able to appreciate the wine's natural color or purity. Therefore, you should just hold the glass by the stem unless the wine is given at a temperature that is too chilly and you need to momentarily warm it up. And if you are interested in trying out some of the best wine glasses in the world, then you should investigate what Riedel has to offer.