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Shapes and sizes
Drinking whisky from a wine glass just doesn't feel right, and sipping a full-bodied red from a champagne flute loses some of its appeal. A glass that's the right size and shape improves the overall tasting experience of your drink.
The term stemware is often used to describe all glassware, even those without a stem, but on wine and Champagne glasses a stem is important for holding the glass without touching the bowl, preserving the temperature. 'Certain aromas, fruity notes for example, are lighter and rise faster, so require a sharper curve on the glass to lock them in,' says Guy Woodward. 'Equally, a glass's shape directs wine to different areas of the tongue, which pick up different flavours of bitterness, sweetness or acidity.' There are dozens of shapes and sizes of glasses, including specialist crystal designed for the connoisseur. Sommeliers, the original hand-made gourmet glass series, was developed by Claus Riedel in 1973 together with the Associazione Italiana Sommeliers (AIS), and contains a glass for every type of drink, from Chablis to Calvados. Since then, Vinum, a machine-made range, has been created. Also look out for Dartington's Wine Master and leading vineyard operator Robert Mondavi's for Waterford. However, if your budget (or storage space) is limited, there are some basic shapes and sizes worth investing in:
Red wine glasses have a larger bowl and wide mouth to allow air to circulate. The two most common types are Bordeaux and Burgundy. A taller Bordeaux glass moves wine to the back of the palate, best for full-bodied reds. A shorter Burgundy glass brings it to the front, best for lighter reds.
White wine glasses are smaller, but don't go for too small a bowl as whites still need contact with the air to release their aroma.
Champagne flutes are designed for maximum enjoyment of the bubbles.
'Much of this is aesthetic,' says Guy Woodward. 'The longer the bubbles take
to rise, all the better for admiring.'
Tumblers with a heavy base are perfect for whisky, but are no good for wine as the size doesn't allow for swirling. Most tumblers tend to be made from thick, patterned or textured glass, which is not suitable if you want to appraise the content visually.
Highballs, on the other hand, are perfect for visually stunning long iced drinks, such as a layered Tequila Sunrise.
For the ultimate crystal set, you need brandy balloons with very short stems to allow you to cup the bowl to warm the brandy and bring out the aromas. And don't forget cocktail or martini glasses for the ultimate in Bond-style glamour.
Next - Care and storage
The term stemware is often used to describe all glassware, even those without a stem, but on wine and Champagne glasses a stem is important for holding the glass without touching the bowl, preserving the temperature. 'Certain aromas, fruity notes for example, are lighter and rise faster, so require a sharper curve on the glass to lock them in,' says Guy Woodward. 'Equally, a glass's shape directs wine to different areas of the tongue, which pick up different flavours of bitterness, sweetness or acidity.' There are dozens of shapes and sizes of glasses, including specialist crystal designed for the connoisseur. Sommeliers, the original hand-made gourmet glass series, was developed by Claus Riedel in 1973 together with the Associazione Italiana Sommeliers (AIS), and contains a glass for every type of drink, from Chablis to Calvados. Since then, Vinum, a machine-made range, has been created. Also look out for Dartington's Wine Master and leading vineyard operator Robert Mondavi's for Waterford. However, if your budget (or storage space) is limited, there are some basic shapes and sizes worth investing in:
'Much of this is aesthetic,' says Guy Woodward. 'The longer the bubbles take
to rise, all the better for admiring.'
Next - Care and storage