Picking The Best Glass For Your Wine

There are many different aspects involved in enjoying a glass of wine.

The setting you’re in, the people you’re with, and the wine you get to enjoy. Even in a casual environment, how you choose to pop the cork on a fresh bottle is a personalized experience you make for yourself. 

Whether you’re pouring into a mug, a plastic cup, or an expensive piece of glassware, we’re here to walk you through the wide world of what you hold in your hand: your wine glass.

Anatomy of A Wine Glass

Every traditional wine glass has four distinct components.

Specific wine glass manufacturers can manipulate and change the sizes of those components, depending on the purpose of the glass. 

A stemless wine glass is a popular remix of the traditional wine glass, where the bowl acts as the base. While holding it in your hand might alter the temperature of your wine, a stemless wine glass is less likely to fall over and spill. 

Glassblowers create every wine glass with a specific purpose and sometimes distinct varieties of wine in mind. Those glasses a blown to amplify specific defining characteristics of their respective wines. Here’s a look at a few examples:

Universal Wine Glass

Universal wine glasses are the “one size fits all” of the wine world. The glass can handle just about everything that goes into it, and it’s probably what most people already have in their kitchen. 

A universal glass is also a great way to enjoy your Sampl, as its versatility compliments the great selection of wines you will taste.

Notes:

• A “classic” wine glass
• Made for all varieties
• Moderately sized to accommodate a wide array of wines

Red Wine Glasses

Red wines have a vast range of tannin structures, alcohol content, and glasses. Compared to a universal glass, the components of red wine glasses are constructed to complement their respective wine. 

Red wine glasses generally allow for large amounts of oxygen to enter the glass, allowing the wine to breathe: oxygen breaks down the tannins to release more aromatics and flavors.

Bordeaux

Notes:

• Exaggerated bowl and wide rim
• Allows plenty of oxygen into the glass
• Suggested for wines like Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot

Burgundy

Famously known for their Pinot Noir, a lighter and more aromatic red varietal, Burgundy glasses are made with those qualities in mind.

Notes:

• Enormous bowl with a tapered rim
• Traps aromas and guides them to your nose
• Suggested for wines like Pinot Noir

White Wine Glasses

Similarly ranged in variety like red wines, white wines lack the tannins red wines contain. As a result, the glasses made for white wines emphasize aromas, acidity, and textures across the range of white wine.

White wine glasses are generally smaller than universal ones, and especially red wine glasses. 

High Acid

Wines high in acidity are also high in aromatics, so glasses made for that range of wines will accommodate that and their cooler serving temperature.

Notes:

• Small bowl with a small rim
• Traps aromas, taste & temperature
• Suggested for light white wines like Sauvignon Blanc & Albariño

High Alcohol

The high alcohol content in some white wines emphasizes texture compared to their lighter counterparts. Glasses made with that in consideration aim to showcase that.

Notes:

• Large bowl and rim
• Emphasis on the texture of heavy-bodied white wines
• Suggested for wines like Chardonnay & Viognier

Unique Wine Glasses

Wine doesn’t just come in red or white - different styles of wine arise from a vast amount of varietals and winemakers utilizing them. Aside from glasses made for different red and white wines, there are even more for wines that don’t fall into that category.

Champagne Flute

There are a few different glasses to serve sparkling wine in, but the iconic Champagne Flute is a common glass you might find at many celebrations.

Notes:

• Slim bowl and rim
• Puts the bubbles on display
• Suggested for sparkling wines like Champagne & Prosecco

Port Glass

Fortified wines are generally much higher in alcohol and body than traditional red or white table wines. The glasses resemble a cross between a glass for spirits and one for wine.

Notes:

• Shrunk-appearing wine glass
• Concentrates fortified wine aromas
• Suggested for dessert wines like Port & Sherry

Despite the range of glass options to enjoy your wine, the best glass is the one in your cupboard. Specific wine glasses will accentuate certain characteristics of particular wines. Still, the way you experience wine is entirely up to you.

Don’t let your glass distract you from your wine journey; wine (and Sampl) can ultimately be experienced and enjoyed in anything that contains it.