The type of glass that you drink a certain wine from is not something most people think matters. The taste remains the same right? Well, owning a whole range of different glasses for drinking various wines is something that is becoming increasingly popular.The grandfather of Mr Riedel (The well known wine glass brand) was the pioneer of the different shaped wine glasses and was the first to produce special designs for different wines. Since then many people have argued that there is a marked variation in tasting experience. Shaun Green, buyer for San Francisco based Wine Merchant K & L is someone who believes in this passionately, saying “It really does make a difference”. Riedel now have over 40 different types of wine glasses, but if you can’t afford, or haven’t got space for these glasses, what ones are vital to own?

Red Wine - You really need a big-bowled smooth and basic glass for the drinking of red wine. This provides room to swirl the drink around the glass and set free its flavour. It allows also a large percentage of the nasal area to fit in the glass and absorb the fine aromas. This is a characteristic that is also seen in a whisky glass

White Wine – A smaller-bowled glass with a higher rim is needed for drinking white wine. This prevents any of the precious aroma from lifting over the edge of the glass and keeps the flavours tightly wrapped up before they enter the mouth.

Champagne – The long thin iconic shape of champagne glasses is needed to drink this luxury product. The bubbles are preserved in the flute better than they would be in another glass and the the narrow rim prevents the carbonated air from entering the sinuses.

So, there is no need to spend your savings on a giant range, as pretty much all of the different wines will drink well from these 3 main types. So if you’re missing any of these, you’re missing out on the best taste.

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