Ever thought about holding your wine glass like a seasoned wine-tasting expert? Also, is it really important to hold a wine glass properly?
We will show you how to hold your wine glass easily and correctly to help you make a good impression at a party.
Why it's important to hold your wine glass correctly？
You may think, "Can't you drink the way you like? Can there be a right or wrong way to hold a glass of wine? This may be surprising. But holding the glass correctly plays a vital role in the wine itself and directly affects your tasting experience.
Here are five reasons why you should hold your glass correctly:
1. It maintains the temperature of the wine.
It is known that the human palm heats up. So when the skin comes in contact with the glass, it will change the temperature of the wine. When you hold the glass, the wine's flavour, aroma, and texture will change with the contact between the glass and your skin.
In general, wines are kept at a specific temperature. Although there are many types of wine, it is difficult to pinpoint the temperature of each type of wine. However, maintaining the proper temperature for as long as possible is a requirement for every type of wine. From the beginning of ageing to storage, wine has requirements for climate and temperature. If the wine is kept at the right temperature, the flavour of the wine will be particularly pronounced. This is because when the wine is at the right temperature, it will evaporate the aromas of the active substances in it.
When you taste a wine, you should want to get the best flavour out of it. At this point, the correct and perfect temperature is still a requirement. This is why wine experts insist that when you hold a wine glass, you should keep your hand on the stem.
2. Keep the surface of the cup clean.
Holding the glass correctly will prevent your fingers or palm from leaving fingerprints or stains when you touch the glass directly. You may be at a business party, or you may be enjoying a family gathering with friends and family. Your hands will inevitably get covered in food residue and grease as you enjoy your meal. This leaves unsightly stains and handprints on your wine glass. In addition to leaving unsightly marks on a nice clean glass, it will also affect your ability to see the true colour of your wine.
3. It allows you to spin without spilling.
Shaking the glass is an important step in wine tasting. It helps the aromas of the wine in the glass to come into more contact with the air. It also leaves liquid on the top of the glass during the swirling process. In this case, it is easier for your nose to perceive the wine's aromas.
If you incorrectly hold the wine glass, it is likely to cause the wine to spill onto your or other people's clothes during the swirling of the glass! Instead, you gently place the glass on a flat surface, grip the stem, and shake it. Not only is it impossible to spill the liquid, but it also gives you the full flavour of the wine.
Types Of Wine Glass
In addition to the function of drinking wine, wine glasses can also enhance the flavour of wine. Wine glasses are shaped according to the composition and characteristics of the wine. The shape of the glass affects the contact between the wine and the air, thus affecting the quality of the wine. The right glass can enhance the strengths and hide the weaknesses. The line of the glass can also influence the flow of the wine in the mouth, resulting in different tastes, smells, and aromas.
It is crucial to know the types of wine glasses. They can help you choose the more appropriate glassware according to the type of wine to be served.
Structure-based wine glasses
A stemmed wine glass has three parts: a bowl, a cup, and a bottom. The purpose of the goblet is to separate the temperature of the taster's hand from the bottom of the ball part of the glass that holds the wine so as not to affect the temperature of the wine. Thus, a stemmed wine glass can retain the temperature and flavour of the wine better than a stemless wine glass.
A stemless wine glass resembles a traditional wine glass but lacks the stem. Instead, stemless wine glasses have a flat spot at the bottom so that you can carefully place them on a surface. Various stemless wine glasses are available for wines, including red and white.
Wine glasses based on the type of wine
Red wine glasses
A red wine glass with a grip at the bottom and a deeper, rounder, and broader upper body than a white wine glass. It is mainly used for red wines.
White wine Glasses
White wine glasses have a grip at the bottom, a curved top, and a smaller mouth than red wine glasses. It is mainly used to serve white wine and cocktails made from it.
Champagne glasses
A champagne glass is a tall glass used exclusively for drinking champagne. There are three types of glasses: tulip champagne glass and flute champagne glass, and champagne saucer.
Cocktail glasses
Cocktail glass with a long, thin grip at the bottom. The top is about a square triangle or trapezoid, a short drink cocktail glass. Unique shape brewed with a variety of styles so that home life emits the aroma of cocktails.
How to Hold a Wine Glass with a Stem
Many people will choose a stemmed wine glass for formal occasions. So, how exactly should you hold a tall wine glass? We have summarized the following methods so that you can better master the art of holding a wine glass.
● Pinch the stem with the thumb, index finger, and middle finger
In the first step, pinch your thumb, index finger, and middle finger on the stem of the wine glass. When pinching the stem, place your fingers on its lower half. The middle finger should be close to the base, pinching the stem on top. These three fingers should be the only ones touching the grip of the wine glass. The other two fingers should rest naturally on the base.
This gesture should be able to hold the glass without touching the belly of the glass. Not only does it feel very natural, but you will also have absolute control over the glass.
● Squeeze the stem with your thumb and forefinger
Wrap your index finger around the handle of the cup from the side, then support the other side of the grip with the tip of your thumb. Keep the palm of your hand facing the lower part of the grip. Relax the remaining three fingers and bend them naturally toward the palm.
Generally speaking, you will not touch the base of the glass in this way. However, even if there is slight contact, it does not matter.
● Stick to the base and hold the top stem
Pinch the stem between your thumb and forefinger and press it firmly against the base of the glass. Extend the middle finger and hold the base from below. This will give you more support to hold the glass. With the remaining two fingers, you can tuck them into your palm and relax them naturally. Of course, you can also keep them next to your middle finger.
● Press the base of the wine glass with your thumb
You may need this method of holding the glass most comfortably. First, use your index and middle fingers to support the glass from underneath the base. Then, press your thumb against the bottom of the glass from above. Use the tips of your index and middle fingers to support the base. When using this technique, none of your fingers will touch the stem of the glass. Your index, middle, ring, and pinky fingers should be slightly curved toward your palm. It is important to note that this grip is the easiest to miss. It is best to practice it alone before using it in a polite and sociable setting.
How to hold a stemless wine glass
Of course, some people may prefer stemless wine glasses. A stemless wine glass has all the parts of a traditional wine glass but lacks the stem. So, how do you hold a stemless wine glass?
● Hold the part near the base of the glass
You should hold a wine glass without a stem just like you would a regular water glass. There is, however, a slight difference. You should not hold the middle and upper part of the glass but the part near the bottom.
For stability, you can wrap your thumb and four other fingers around the glass. However, to better retain the flavour of the wine, you should use only your thumb and the other two fingers as much as possible. The remaining two fingers should be naturally bent away from the glass. You may also place them on the bottom of the glass, holding them in place.
● Reduced contact with wine glasses
Holding a wine glass with your hands brings heat to the wine, which may affect the flavour and texture of the wine. So when you use a stemless wine glass, try to avoid holding the glass for too long. If you can, try to pick it up when you are drinking and leave it on the table when you are not drinking. Another thing you need to be aware that when using a stemless wine glass, you will inevitably leave your fingerprints behind. If you're at a house party, this detail won't be much of a problem. If you are at a more formal gathering, you should still opt for the traditional tall glass.
How not to hold a wine glass
When you drink, you should take small sips. Let the wine melt on your tongue and feel its taste and sweetness. You should not sip quickly and frequently to avoid spilling the glass. Try to enjoy the sensation of a sip of wine in your mouth.
If you are sitting at the table, place the glass to the right of the water glass. If there are no water glasses on the table, place the glass in the upper left corner of your seat.
Suppose you are standing and talking to someone at a party and cannot place your glass on the table. You can hold the stem of the glass with one hand and the bottom with the other.
Related Wine Tasting Etiquette
When you attend a party or business networking event, it is inevitable that you will have to drink wine. You should be aware of relevant wine etiquette to help you be comfortable with situations at a party.
● Pouring wine
You know, pouring wine is also a discipline. There are many different types of wine, and there are rules for pouring wine for guests or yourself. Red wine should be poured into 1/3 of the glass, white wine into 1/4 of the glass, and sparkling wine into 1/2 of the glass using a champagne glass. Wine and red wine need to be woken up when drinking red wine, moderate oxidation! And wine needs to be carefully savoured and not poured too much at a time.
● Don't shake the wine glass too hard
Shaking a glass before drinking allows the red wine to have better contact with the air and moderate oxidation. This will stimulate the aroma of the wine and make it more palatable to the taster. However, shaking the wine glass is also a skill, do not make it a full force to shake. This will accidentally touch the person next to you and easily spill your wine.
● Clinking glasses
At the party, you inevitably need to clink glasses. When clinking glasses with a tall glass, you should tilt the glass to the right and clink it with the protruding belly. The goblet's rim is fragile, so it is easy to break if you don't rattle it properly.
● Do not drink it all at once
The wine in the glass is 1/3 of the wine and is served in small sips. When tasting or toasting wine, you must taste slowly to feel the flavour. Don't drink it in one gulp like beer!
What is the difference between glass and plastic?
The raw material of plastic wine glasses is polystyrene, and the raw material of glass wine glasses is high borosilicate glass. They are both made up of different materials, but they are both utensils. Usually, glass wine glasses are used for wine glasses. This is because glass wine glasses are the best choice for both aesthetics and applicability. Especially for parties and formal business events, glass wine glasses are used.
You may need glass or plastic glasses to sip your wine, and you can choose which one to use depending on the situation. If you run a restaurant or bar, you may need a lot of glass wine glasses. Reihey has been researching how to create quality glass products for years, producing wine glasses made of the finest glass materials. A high quality glass may be just what you are looking for.
Final Conclusion
We have presented you with a lot of information in this article. Whether it's the type of wine glass or how to hold it properly, we hope the information in the article will help you use it in your life.