There Is A
Right Way To Hold A Wine Glass!
Once you've
chosen the right wine glass for
your wine it makes sense to discover how to hold it ...
It may seem a bit unnecessary to discuss how to hold a wine glass,
but there is a right way and a wrong way and it does make a
difference.
Wine is served in stemware because the temperature at which wine is
served can have a profound impact on its taste and the enjoyment it
yields. Wine glasses should always be held by the stem of the glass
rather than the bowl since the heat of your hand will quickly warm
the liquid.
Warming a wine above its desired
serving temperature
will yield unwanted and unpleasant characteristics. The
alcohol in wine will give a sharpness or 'bite' to the taste if the
wine is served above 74ºF.
It is a common mistake made by many people to
hold a wine glass by the bowl. This will not only warm the
wine it will also make it difficult to inspect the contents
of the glass for clarity and color. And fingerprints on the
bowl will also make it difficult to look at the wine and
will detract from the visual appeal of the wine glass.
If the wine glass feels top heavy when it is
held by the stem it has probably been filled too full. A
wine glass should only be filled to about a third to half
full.
There has been a trend in recent years toward
stemless wine glasses. These may be acceptable for casual
occasions but negate all the benefits of enjoying wine from
stemware. Likewise, drinking from colored glasses won't
allow the color and clarity of the the wine to be noted.
So, just hold the
glass by the stem unless the wine is served at too cool a
temperature and you need to warm it briefly.
