Wine drinking is an activity that involves many senses. Unlike gulping soda or water for hydration, wine is a drink intended to be sipped slowly and savored. It is, therefore, little wonder that most wine glasses are thin and elegant by design. But does the thickness of the glass make a difference to the experience of drinking wine?
Wine glasses should be thin and elegant. A delicate glass allows wine drinkers to fully appreciate the wine’s color, bouquet, and taste. Thin glass presents less of a barrier between the drinker and the wine. It also produces a distinctive chime when they are touched together when toasting.
Wine is a drink that stands apart from other alcoholic beverages. You wouldn’t chug it down like a beer or fill a highball glass with wine. The razor-thin quality of wine glasses can be delicate, but there are some sound reasons why it is the most suitable type of glass for drinking wine.
Should Wine Glasses Be Thick Or Thin?
Wine glasses should be thin. A thick glass would give a different look and feel, and your wine may even taste different. Research has shown that the type of glass you use to drink wine affects how the experience is perceived.
The experience of savoring wine is as much about taking in the aroma as it is about the taste. That is why red wine glasses have large bowls that are distinctly different from the elongated shape of champagne flutes.
There are three main reasons why wine glasses should be thin.
- It is easier for the wine to reach room temperature. Most red wines should be consumed at room temperature. If you live in a hot climate, that may not make much sense, but remember that red wines would traditionally have been stored in cold cellars and used in cool interiors.
- Thin glasses let you appreciate the color of the wine. Wines can be delightful shades of ruby, maroon, purple, pink, brown, straw color, and many colors in between. A thick glass could distort the view and interfere with how you see the rich color.
- The wine glass should not be a thick physical barrier between the drinker and the wine. The thinnest possible glass provides a close-up-and-personal experience for the wine drinker. Appreciating an excellent wine also involves being enveloped by the bouquet and color of the beverage.
One of the most practical reasons to use a thin glass for drinking wine is simply because it looks better. A refined drink calls for the right tools. A thin-stemmed, delicate wine glass with a large bowl to swirl your vino makes you feel like the end link in a noble process – which is precisely what wine drinking is all about.
Why Is The General Wine Glass Made Thin And Easy To Break?
While sipping from a wine glass is no problem, washing and storing fragile glasses can be challenging. One wrong move and there is a good chance that the delicate, thin glass may break.
Wine glasses are not designed for busy, everyday use. Sipping wine is intended to be a leisurely, intentional activity, and wine glasses have been made as vessels that deliver the wine to your lips in the most pleasing way possible.
Well-cared-for wine glasses can last a lifetime. Here’s how to prevent them from breaking:
- Only handwash your wine glasses
- Store them away from your other day-to-day glassware. Preferably somewhere out of the way where they won’t be accidentally bumped.
- Only use them for drinking wine.
Why Wine Tastes Better In A Thin Wine Glass
How wine is served and carried to your lips plays a significant role in your perception of its taste. Wine glasses have a distinctive, elegant shape with a long stem supporting a large bowl and tapered opening.
A thin glass offers no obstacles between the wine and the drinker. The slightly narrowed rim made from thin clear glass is an effective conduit for the drink to the tongue.
The thinner the glass, the more sophisticated it will feel. It adds an immediate elegance to the act of pouring a glass of wine. It will taste better, even though nothing has changed other than that you are using a special glass that allows you to fully experience the subtle nuances of the drink.
Does Glass Thickness Affect Taste?
Glass thickness may not affect the taste directly, but it is highly likely to affect your perception of the taste of wine. The thickness of the rim also affects the flow of wine onto your tongue.
Think of the difference between drinking from a coffee mug and sipping from a wine glass. Imagine drinking coffee from a wine glass or drinking wine from a coffee mug. The action of drinking changes depending on the type of drinking vessel that is brought to the lips. This affects how we taste things.
A thick glass would keep the wine cooler than a thin glass, but temperature affects the taste—red wine, in particular, benefits from being served at room temperature. The bowl is larger, and the thin glass walls allow the beverage to align quickly with the ambient temperature.
How To Find The Right Wine Glass
Not all wine is the same. Delicate wine glasses with large bowls atop slender necks are the domain of red and white wine. However, there is a distinct difference in the shape of the glasses for each.
Wine appreciation is something of an art. To fully appreciate and enjoy the whole experience of opening a bottle, taking in its aroma, appreciating its color, and finally letting it roll over your tongue, you need to have the right equipment, namely the best glass for the job.
Not all wine glasses are the same. Most of us can recognize a standard wine glass – a large bowl made from thin glass with a tapering rim above a slender stem and large foot. But look harder, and you will see that some have exaggerated, wide bowls with smaller openings, while others are less round.
What Is The Best Glass For Red Wine?
Red wine glasses are larger than those used for white wine. They have longer stems, so your hands don’t have to touch the bowl, which may affect the temperature of the contents of the glass.However, red wine glasses tend to spill easily, so I talked about cleaning methods in another article
Another feature of red wine glasses is that they have larger bowls and narrower openings. This makes them perfect for swirling wine while appreciating the delicate aroma.
What Is The Best Glass For White Wine?
White wine glasses are typically shorter and have narrower bowls than red wine glasses. They don’t have the same aromatics as reds and don’t require as much breathing room.
Smaller glasses also keep the wine cooler than larger bowls. This can help to make the flavor less variable because of fluctuating temperatures. The result is a more consistent wine-tasting experience.
Champagne is a famous sparkling variety of white wine. Unlike regular wine glasses, champagne is enjoyed in a thin flute-shaped glass. This shape prevents air exposure and keeps the bubbles in the glass longer.
What Kind Of Wine Glass Should I Use For Fortified Wine?
Fortified wines fit into an entirely different category. Dessert wines typically require smaller glasses than red or white wine. In fact, some types of dessert wines have specifically shaped glasses unique to them.
Some commonly found dessert wine glasses include:
- Port wine glasses – They may resemble miniature white wine glasses. They are often made from slightly thicker glass and have a more solid feel.
- Sherry glasses – Much smaller than regular wine glasses. They have a distinctive tulip-shaped bowl and hold just enough for a small serving.
- Madeira glasses – Smaller than standard wine glasses. They allow the wine to be accurately directed to the back of the drinker’s mouth.
Conclusion
Good wine glasses should be thin. Wine is a drink that not only tantalizes the taste buds and has aromatic appeal, but the experience should also be aesthetically pleasing. Thin wine glasses look delicate and elegant and lend a sophisticated ambiance to drinking wine.
