Wine Glassware with Melissa Mwende
To really get the best out of your wine experience especially when drinking something special, you need proper wine glasses. On a regular, you can have your wine out of a coffee mug, a tumbler, a jug or you can throw your hands in the air and drink straight for the bottle. Hello college days! However, the type of wine glass you choose will have an effect on your experience with wine.
While there’s virtually a glass or every single type of wine out there, we’ll talk about red wine glasses vs white wine glasses.
Red Wine Glasses
The choice of a red wine glass has a lot to do with mitigating the bitterness of tannin or spicy flavors to deliver a smoother tasting wine. Generally, red wines tend to taste smoother from a glass with a wide opening. Of course, the distance to the actual fluid affects what you smell. This glass shape is best with bolder red wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, or Bordeaux Blends. Bigger glasses:
- Delivers more aroma compounds vs. the burn of ethanol from being farther from nose
- Larger surface area to let ethanol evaporate
- Wider opening makes wines taste smoother
White Wine Glasses
White wines are typically served in smaller bowled glasses. Smaller glasses:
- Preserve floral aromas
- Maintain cooler temperature
- Express more acidity in wine
- Delivers more aromas (even at cooler temperatures) due to proximity to nose
You’ll notice that full-bodied white wines like oak-aged Chardonnay, Viognier, White Rioja, and orange wines are better with a larger bowl. The larger bowl better emphasizes a creamy texture because of the wider mouth.
I hope you find this information helpful next time you go out to buy wine glasses.
Where to get grape specific wine glasses in Nairobi: Riedel Shop, Westgate Mall at the Flea Market. Happy drinking!
Resources: Winefolly.com
Photo and video credits: Kenneth Kinoti (@hok_photography)