Did you know that there are actually more than a dozen different types of wine glasses? That’s right, different widths and heights of wine glasses are used to enhance certain flavours in different kinds of wine.
Here is a list with the 14 different types of wine glasses you might find:
1. Flute wine glasses
A flute is often used for Champagne or sparkling wine. It is a tall, slim, and very slightly rounded glass. It was designed this way to minimize the amount of oxygen that is able to get to the wine, and enhance the experience of watching and feeling the carbonation.
2. Coupe wine glasses
This type of wine glasses often used for Champagne and sparkling wine, the coupe is almost the complete opposite of a flute. It consists of a very shallow, very wide bowl, a design that enhances the fullness of the flavour in the wine and focuses less on the bubbly texture.
3. Standard red wine glasses
A standard red wine glass is meant for medium- to full-bodied red wines and can be identified by an almost perfectly oval shape. It’s a medium size with a small opening at the top, which introduces flavours from the wine one at a time.
4. Pinot Noir wine glasses
A Pinot Noir glass is more circular in shape, with a very wide and round bowl, which gets smaller near the top, and then flares out again at the mouth. The purpose for the wide bowl is to help ensure air comes into contact with the wine, which enhances its flavours.
5. Bordeaux wine glasses
The bowl of a Bordeaux glass is leaner and thinner than some other red wine glasses, but the glass itself is larger. It is designed to let the wine cover the entire tongue at once, which is ideal for full-bodied wine tasting. It is a tall, oval-shaped glass with a long stem.
6. Port wine glasses
Port is often drunk in very small quantities, as it is very heavy and sweet. This popular type of wine is usually served as a dessert beverage. The port glass is quite short, and is oval shaped, very similar to the shape of a Bordeaux glass, but much smaller and usually with a shorter, thicker stem.
7. Riesling wine glasses
The Riesling glass mirrors the shape of the Bordeaux glass again, but is slightly smaller. White wine glasses are typically smaller than red wine glasses, as they do not need as much aeration.
8. Rosé wine glasses
These types of wine glasses are much shorter than most wine glasses, with the widest part of the bowl being very small. The concept is similar to the Pinot Noir glass, where it gets smaller near the top and then wider again at the mouth.
The concept of narrowing the glass near the top is intended to focus the wine’s aromas.
9. Sauvignon Blanc wine glasses
Sauvignon Blanc glasses also have a tall and slender bowl. They are slightly larger than the Riesling glass, and are designed to capture the delicate fruity and flowery aromas that Sauvignon Blanc and other light- and medium-bodied wines typically have.
10. Chardonnay wine glasses
A Chardonnay glass is smaller than a Sauvignon Blanc glass, and it’s widest part lands in the middle and begins to taper immediately on either side. It doesn’t taper too much at the top, like some other white wine glasses – this is purposeful as it ensures that the flavours of full-bodied wines, like Chardonnay, are balanced.
11. Crystal wine glasses
There are a few different materials that wine glasses can be made from, to add to the different shapes they come in. Crystal is a strong material, so can be made very thin without being overly fragile. These glasses can be quite pricy though, and must be cared for well.
12. Stemless wine glasses
Stemless wine glasses come in all shapes as well, to mirror the shape of the typical glass for the wine it is meant to hold. The only difference is that this is a very modern style to use.
It does, however, remove the stem which helps keep wine from being warmed by your fingers when you hold the glass. For this reason, if you are using stemless wine glasses it is best to try to set your glass down whenever you are not drinking from it.
13. Glass wine glasses
Glass is inexpensive, but also not always high quality. It is possible to find higher quality ones for a nice price, which can be just as visibly impressive as a crystal set. It’s a good option if you think the glasses may get broken, as they are cheaper to replace than crystal.
14. Decorated wine glasses
It doesn’t really affect the taste, but it does affect the visuals – there are many different types of decorated wine glasses. Some have designs etched right into the glass, while other have designs printed onto them. Designs can be both elaborate and colourful or very simple. Beware of cheap printed-on designs though, as they can chip off leaving the glass looking shabby.