Which glass should I choose for my red wine?

If you are a wine lover you know it pretty well: wine tasting is a complex experience, where many factors are involved, as the type of wine, the vintage, the food match, and least but not last the kind of glass.

Yes, the shape of the wine glass we choose (as well as that of the decanter, for example) is important in the wine tasting too. It is from that shape that we can taste better our precious wine and enhance its organoleptic qualities. This is not just our opinion, but there’s scientific evidence according to a research conducted by a Japanese team which showed how the aromatic vapours from wine flow better in some shapes than others, pointing out how specific glasses can make your wine more aromatic, therefore tastier than other shapes do.

That’s why every true wine lover has a collection of glasses to match their favourite bottles: the link between the wine variety and the shape of the glass is so tight that the various type of glasses often carry the name of the most famous wine they can contain.

As you can see in the picture above, there are four main red wine glass types (actually, there are many more, these are just the most common ones), going from the classic red wine glass to the famous Burgundy one. In general, red wine glasses are wider and larger than white or rose wine ones, and some are taller.

Standard Red Wine Glass

This is the most common glass used for red wine: it works well for medium to full-bodied wines and it generally isn’t as wide and round as the other red wine glasses we will shortly see. This is a good choice when in doubt to averagely taste normal red wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon Glass

The glass that commonly takes the name of Cabernet Sauvignon is higher and rounder than the standard one, and it is made for enhancing all the taste of Cabernet wines: its width let the wine breathe and therefore to remain fragrant.

Bordeaux Glass

Bordeaux glass shape is another pretty common one: it features a pretty high calice, however not too wide. The stem of the glass is tall as well. Despite it being so tall (and the resulting temptation), the common rule advice to not fill it with too much wine.

Burgundy Glass

In case of a more flowery and delicate red wine, the Burgundy glass is ideal: its round and wide shape permit the drink to breathe properly, releasing all its aroma at every sip.

A tip to taste wine better once you chose the right shape of glass? Don’t fill your glass too much: less wine into the glass will help the aromas go around better, making your bottle tastier and more enjoyable.