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| A variety of glass sizes and shapes are available for serving wines and spirits. Stemware is best for wines. The sizes and shapes above are the most common. The glassware’s size and shape is almost as important as the wine being poured. |
Choosing the proper glassware for each variety of wine, can enhance the taste, the body, the aroma and the ultimate enjoyment of the wine. There are techniques for serving wines and selecting wines for your guests. The glassware’s size and shape is almost as important as the wine being poured.
Tips and Tricks
Serve white wine before red wines. Lighter wines before heavier wines.
Simple meals are enhanced when paired with complex wines. Complex meals can be enjoyed with simpler wines. It’s all a matter of taste.
When pouring your wine, slightly twist your wrist to the right as you finish pouring wine into the glass, before quickly tilting the bottle upright. This will help eliminate drips from the mouth of the bottle.
When you have washed your wine glasses, rinse them at least twice to get all the detergents out, as detergents can change the way the wine tastes.
Ideal Alcohol Serving Temperatures
Red Wines are best at room temperature, or below, if the weather is hot.
Serve red wines in large, open-bowled glasses, due to the wines tannins. The flavor of the wine improves with oxygen and the open bowl allows enough area for swirling and enjoying the “nose.” (The “nose is all of the various aromas coming out of the wine.)
White Wines – 6-8 °C/43° F- 46° F
White wines are generally served in smaller-bowled wine glasses to keep the wine cooler.
Rosé Wines – 6-8°C/43° F- 46° F
Rosés are best served in a glass with a smaller bowl, to keep the wine cooler.
Sparkling Wine: 8-10°C / 46° F - 50° F
Use a tall, fluted or tulip shaped glass to contain the bubbles and to retain its effervescence (i.e. Keep it fizzy.)
Decanting Red Wines
Decanting allows wines to breathe. It “mellows” young wines. Allowing a young wine to air can “age” the wine.
Decanting wines also separates the wine from any sediments.
Older wines should be decanted less than 1 hour before a meal.
Young wines should be decanted 2-3 hours before a meal.
Tasting Wines — The Five S’s
See – Look at the wine, checking its clarity, sediment, and the colour of the wine. The colour of wine will tell you the intensity of the wine about to be tasted.
Swirl – Swirl the glass on the table, rotate your glass, this aerates the wine, swirling helps the wine interact with oxygen releasing aromas before smelling the wine. If there is high sugar content, it will leave streaks in the glass. (Called ‘legs’ or ‘tears’).
Smell – Holding the stem, place your nose inside and inhale. Never sniff the cork (there is no need as that is not where the smell is) however looking at it will indicate cracks, mould, and seepage. Sniffing the wine will tell you how intense the wine is, does it remind you of fruit, flowers etc.
Sip – Never drink the wine. Sip the wine and allow the wine to roll around in your mouth 3-5 seconds to coat your mouth so as to detect its overall structure. You will be thinking about its textures, flavours, and weight. By letting in oxygen to mix in with your wine (en mouth) you will get to know the full profile of the wine.
Savour – When you swallow the wine, you will get a different taste to that during the above procedures. By doing this you will be able to see the wine’s balance, and detect any notes of domination or not.
Champagne or Sparkling Wine?
Most of us love champagne. We enjoy hearing the distinctive “pop,” wondering if, and how far, the cork will go flying. We look forward to the effervescence and drinking those sharp bubbles... it really is an amazing beverage. Have you ever wondered what the etiquette for champagne is? Here are a few points on this special commodity:
1. The name champagne is protected by Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne and can be only used by the growers of that French region. In Australia the wording used is “sparkling wine.”
2. Sparkling wines must be chilled before serving. There are a few ways to chill wine, put the wine in the refrigerator and chill to 8-10°C/46- 50°F or 3 hours. Putting it in ice and a bucket should take approximately 30 minutes to chill, and water will help bring the temperature down.
3. When uncorking the bottle, hold the cork and twist the bottle not the cork, Hold your glass upright rather than tilting your glass. When pouring into the glass, fill it only a third of the way up. Never fill it to the top.
4. When uncorked, sparkling wine does not need to be left to breathe, like a red wine. When pouring, the wine will air and that is all it needs. It will keep for approximately 24 hours in the refrigerator with a wine stopper. You will be surprised how well sparkling wines will keep in this manner.
Red Wines are best at room temperature, or below, if the weather is hot.
Serve red wines in large, open-bowled glasses, due to the wines tannins. The flavor of the wine improves with oxygen and the open bowl allows enough area for swirling and enjoying the “nose.” (The “nose is all of the various aromas coming out of the wine.)
White Wines – 6-8 °C/43° F- 46° F
White wines are generally served in smaller-bowled wine glasses to keep the wine cooler.
Rosé Wines – 6-8°C/43° F- 46° F
Rosés are best served in a glass with a smaller bowl, to keep the wine cooler.
Sparkling Wine: 8-10°C / 46° F - 50° F
Use a tall, fluted or tulip shaped glass to contain the bubbles and to retain its effervescence (i.e. Keep it fizzy.)
Decanting Red Wines
Decanting allows wines to breathe. It “mellows” young wines. Allowing a young wine to air can “age” the wine.
Decanting wines also separates the wine from any sediments.
Older wines should be decanted less than 1 hour before a meal.
Young wines should be decanted 2-3 hours before a meal.
Tasting Wines — The Five S’s
See – Look at the wine, checking its clarity, sediment, and the colour of the wine. The colour of wine will tell you the intensity of the wine about to be tasted.
Swirl – Swirl the glass on the table, rotate your glass, this aerates the wine, swirling helps the wine interact with oxygen releasing aromas before smelling the wine. If there is high sugar content, it will leave streaks in the glass. (Called ‘legs’ or ‘tears’).
Smell – Holding the stem, place your nose inside and inhale. Never sniff the cork (there is no need as that is not where the smell is) however looking at it will indicate cracks, mould, and seepage. Sniffing the wine will tell you how intense the wine is, does it remind you of fruit, flowers etc.
Sip – Never drink the wine. Sip the wine and allow the wine to roll around in your mouth 3-5 seconds to coat your mouth so as to detect its overall structure. You will be thinking about its textures, flavours, and weight. By letting in oxygen to mix in with your wine (en mouth) you will get to know the full profile of the wine.
Savour – When you swallow the wine, you will get a different taste to that during the above procedures. By doing this you will be able to see the wine’s balance, and detect any notes of domination or not.
Champagne or Sparkling Wine?
Most of us love champagne. We enjoy hearing the distinctive “pop,” wondering if, and how far, the cork will go flying. We look forward to the effervescence and drinking those sharp bubbles... it really is an amazing beverage. Have you ever wondered what the etiquette for champagne is? Here are a few points on this special commodity:
1. The name champagne is protected by Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne and can be only used by the growers of that French region. In Australia the wording used is “sparkling wine.”
2. Sparkling wines must be chilled before serving. There are a few ways to chill wine, put the wine in the refrigerator and chill to 8-10°C/46- 50°F or 3 hours. Putting it in ice and a bucket should take approximately 30 minutes to chill, and water will help bring the temperature down.
3. When uncorking the bottle, hold the cork and twist the bottle not the cork, Hold your glass upright rather than tilting your glass. When pouring into the glass, fill it only a third of the way up. Never fill it to the top.
4. When uncorked, sparkling wine does not need to be left to breathe, like a red wine. When pouring, the wine will air and that is all it needs. It will keep for approximately 24 hours in the refrigerator with a wine stopper. You will be surprised how well sparkling wines will keep in this manner.
For many years, Etiquipedia contributor, Elizabeth Soos, has had a keen interest in cultural customs. With her European background and extensive travel, Soos developed an interest in the many forms of respect and cultural expectations in the countries she has visited. With her 20 years’ experience in customer service within private international companies based in Australia, and her lifetime interest in manners and research, she decided to branch out into the field of etiquette and deportment. Through her self-directed studies and by completing the Train-The-Trainer’s course offered by Emma Dupont’s School of Etiquette in London and by Guillaume Rue de Bernadac at Academie de Bernadac based in Paris and Shanghai, she founded Auersmont School of Etiquette.
Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia
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