Beginners Guide To Wine Glass Holding Etiquettes

Anyone who loves to drink wine knows that it can’t be done right without a wine glass. By definition, a wine glass is kitchenware that serves the purpose of drinking and tasting wine. Almost every wine glass is composed of a bowl, stem, and foot. The shape of your wine glass directly impacts the taste of the drink inside it.

Not only does the shape but also the wine glass variety impact the aroma and flavor of your drink. There are specific wine glasses for red wine, white wine, and champagne flute. A wine glass plays a crucial role in the overall wine-drinking experience.

Initially, wine glasses were manufactured out of lead glass. However, health concerns led to the replacement of the lead glass with lead-free glass. Apart from hock glasses, every other wine glass is neither frosted nor colored because it is likely to undermine the color of your wine. Recently, manufacturers of premium wine glasses have also suggested the infusion of titanium into the glass to reduce the susceptibility to breakage and increase the useful life of your wine glasses.

There are several points that need to be taken into consideration when it comes to wine glasses. You need to know the correct way to hold your wine glass depending on whether it is a glass with a stem or not. You should also know the basic etiquette when it comes to holding a wine glass. Some people also take interest in the ounces, carbs, and calories in a glass of wine.

In the article that follows, we will dive into the basics of a wine glass.

How To Hold A Wine Glass?

Although holding your wine glass in the right manner is not a difficult task, there is a correct as well as an incorrect way to do it. The most basic rule of holding your wine glass is to hold it by the stem instead of holding your glass around the bowl.

Method To Use For Holding A Traditional Glass Of Wine

• Position the stem of your wine glass between your middle finger, index finger, and your thumb. Only these fingers should be in immediate contact with your wine glass’s stem.

• The other two fingers should lie on the top of your base. This position will ensure that you can hold your glass with stability and at the same time, distance your hands from the bowl of your glass.

• Then pinch your glass’s stem with your index finger and thumb. Your hand should be directed towards the lower end of your wine glass’s stem.

• Use your index finger and thumb to pinch your glass’s stem. Position your thumb over the glass base and at the same time, support your glass from beneath using your middle finger and index fingers.

• Note that you should never hold your wine glass by the bowl. There are practical reasons behind this suggestion.

• For one, if you hold the bowl, the appearance and taste of your wine will be drastically affected. Holding your glass from the bowl warms up the drink inside, ruining the chilled experience you are planning to enjoy.

• You can also leave fingerprints on your glass if and when you hold it by the bowl. This is likely to make your wine glass appear less elegant.

Methods To Use For Holding A Stemless Wine Glass

• As indicative by name, a stemless wine glass should be held like a normal drinking water glass because it has no stem. Make sure you don’t hold your glass from the middle or the top but from the bottom.

• You should position your two fingers and thumb on the glass itself. Try as much as possible to minimize your hand’s contact with the wine glass. This is primarily because the temperature from your hand will warm up your wine and ruin your drinking experience.

• You can hold the glass only when you are taking sips. Position it on a table if you have one nearby to avoid fingerprints to the maximum possible extent.

• Nonetheless, if you are planning to impress someone or are interacting with wine connoisseurs, you should leave out your stemless glasses and opt for the traditional ones. This will ensure that there are little to no chances of an error from your side.

Etiquettes Related To Wine Glasses

• There might be instances when you are tired of holding your wine glass in between sips. For this purpose, you can position the base of your wine glass on the palm of your hand, the non-dominant one, and continue to hold it by the stem at the same time.

• When having dinner, position your wine glass on the right side of your water glass. In the absence of a water glass, simply position the wine glass on the upper left corner of your dinner table setting in the place of the water glass.

• Try to ensure that you sip wine from a specific spot on your wine glass. This in turn is likely to improve both the scent and appearance of your wine glass.

• If you sip from many places in your wine glass, the unnecessary excessive contact taints the wine scent. This might in fact have an impact on the wine taste.

• In addition, when you sip from your wine glass, you are likely to leave a mark even when you are not wearing any lip balm or lipstick. Therefore, if you sip from a single spot, your glass will look more elegant and clean. You should always drink your wine with elegance.

• You should keep your wine glass partially full. When drinking white wine, your glass should be half full. When drinking red wine, your glass should be 1/3rd full.

• It is important to ensure that you don’t fill your glass full to avoid any unnecessary spills. Holding a glass the right way requires you to hold it by the stem and therefore if your glass is full, you might find it difficult to balance and eventually end up spilling your favorite wine.

• When you are sipping on wine, make sure you look into your glass instead of someone or something else. This is because looking at someone else is regarded as an impolite gesture.

• In contrast, when you are making a toast, you should keep eye contact with any person in the room. Superstition speculates that if you don’t click eyes with someone, you run the risk of inviting bad luck for the next seven years. Simply lock eyes with whichever person clicks his/her glasses with yours.

• When you wish to evaluate the appearance of your wine, you can do so by tilting the glass. Make use of natural light. You can even position your glass against a pale or white background for a smooth viewing process if you aren’t able to get a desirable view of the clarity and color.

• Now almost every wine lover swirls his/her wine glass. While it is a socially acceptable gesture, ensure you do it correctly. All you need to do is maintain a firm grip and keep swirling your glass for 10-20 seconds.

• When you swirl your wine glass, any unnecessary or unpleasant scent gets dissipated before you enjoy your wine. However, make sure you don’t hold the glass too loosely or too forcefully when swirling because your wine might spill out in any case.

• You might sometimes want to smell your wine before you sip it. To do so, slightly tilt your wine glass and position your nose directly inside it. You can even place your nose about 1 to 2.5 cm from the top of the glass instead of positioning it inside depending on your comfort level.

• Many people out there are able to easily detect the smell this way while there are others who opt for the conventional method. You can opt for any one of the two.

What Is A Wine Glass Holder?

As evident by the name, a wine glass holder serves the function of holding wine glasses. A wine rack and glass holder makes sure that your wine bottle and glasses are held together evenly to maintain their shape and prevent them from falling down. It also ensures that your glasses are arranged aesthetically pleasing and give an overall favorable look to your living room or kitchen setting.

Importance Of A Proper Wine Glass

A proper wine glass’s primary importance is ensuring an optimal tasting experience. If you have the right wine glass, it will make your wine taste better. You should opt for a wine glass that represents your preferable style of wine. This will ensure that the aroma and taste of your wine are not compromised on the type of wine glass you opt for. A wine glass is of utmost importance for you to enjoy the aroma as well as the flavor of your wine.

To release aromas, you should opt for a wine glass that has an increased surface area. When you swirl your wine, it is likely to increase the surface area. Your style of wine will affect whether you want a small aroma collector or a larger one. While there is no specific rule, it is often suggested that white wine will have smaller aroma collectors whereas red wine will have larger aroma collectors for displaying its aromas.

It is often suggested to opt for a wine glass with thin lips. This is primarily because if your wine glass has thinner lips, it is unlikely to obstruct the path of your drinking experience. Nonetheless, differing opinions with regard to the thinness of your wine glass’s lips continue to exist.