Understanding a Wine Glass
Traditional wine glasses are stemware — there are four basic parts, the foot, the stem, the bowl, and the rim:
https://i.imgur.com/g2tKwuh.jpg
Starting from the bottom, the foot is there so you have something to set the glass down on. It should be level around the edges, so that the glass stays stable when set down.
Next up, the stem is there for you to hold. This is so that the heat from your hands doesn’t warm up the wine (even red wines should be served a little chilled — between 62 and 68 Fahrenheit, or 12–18 Celsius. Heavier reds towards the warmer end of the spectrum, lighter ones cooler). You would hold the glass like this:
https://i.imgur.com/reC4DK0.jpg
The most important part of the wine glass is the bowl. It’s where the wine goes, after all! As the above diagram shows, you should not fill the bowl to the top — 5–6 ounces (around 180 ml) is generally the pour for a drink (less if you’re just at a tasting; then the pour should be 1–2 ounces, or around 50 ml). A good rule of thumb is that the wine should go up to the widest part of the bowl, and no more. There are different shaped bowls for different varietals of wine, but in general you’ll find 4 types — a kind of tulip shaped Bordeaux glass (intended for heavier, dry reds), a broader-bowled Burgundy glass (intended for lighter, more aromatic reds), slightly smaller White glasses (shaped like small Bordeaux glasses usually, intended for white wines), and Champagne Flutes (long, slender glasses, which help to keep sparkling wine sparkling). In general, if you’re purchasing glassware and can only have one type, go for the Bordeaux glass; it’s the most utilitarian of the four.
Finally, you get to the rim. Rims on wine glasses come in basically two types — finished, and rounded. Rounded rims are what you find in inexpensive wineglasses, they’re a round bead of glass that goes around the entire rim. Finished rims will be squared-off, generally on finer glasses. The rounded rims are slightly sturdier, while the finished ones feel better against your lips and allow a smoother flow of the wine into your mouth (yes, whether the wine flow is laminar or chaotic can affect the taste! Generally, smoother flow = better assessment of the flavors in the wine.).
