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Remember the movie Sideways when Paul Giamatti's character freaks out about Merlot? Were you confused or maybe even a little bit ashamed since you like Merlot? You aren't alone. Many people would love get into wine, but they're put off by the daunting complexity of the drink and the snobbish attitudes they encounter.
Luckily it's not that hard to get started. If you want to enjoy wine at home during meals or when entertaining guests, you just need a basic set of wine glasses and tumblers, otherwise known as stemware.
Which Wine Glasses Do You Need?
Even someone completely new to wine knows that you would never drink it from anything but a wine glass. That's because the glass you serve wine from affects the taste. The aroma of wine, unlike other drinks, also plays a vital role in the taste. Thus wine glasses are designed to release that scent and guide it to your nose without overwhelming your senses.
A basic wine glass is designed with three things in mind:
1. A wide bottom gives you room to swirl the wine without spilling it. Swirling wine releases the rich aromas. A larger bottom also puts space between your nose and the wine, so your senses aren't overwhelmed.
2. A narrow top channels the scents to your nose.
3. The wine glass should be big enough to contain a decent portion so you don't have to refill your glass every second sip.
This is why the traditional wine glass is tulip shaped: broad at the bottom, narrow at the top. If you only have this kind of wine glass, you'll be fine. However, if you want to increase your appreciation of wine, you should have two variations of this stemware:
• A larger, wider glass for red wines. This gives the complex aromas of the wine more room to breathe.
• A taller, narrower glass for white wines. White wines are served chilled, and the smaller glass maintains the temperature. Whites also have a more delicate scent, which the more slender glass leads to your nose.
How Should You Hold a Wine Glass?
If you've ever seen someone on TV or the movies holding a glass of wine by the bowl, you might be shocked to learn that is not how you hold it. Stemware has a stem for a reason: so you can hold the wine glass by it. Wine, especially chilled white wine, tastes best at the temperature it was originally served. If you hold the glass by the bowl, the heat from your hand will change the temperature—and the taste. So hold your wine glass by the stem.
What's up with Stemless Wine Glasses?
Stemless wine glasses are the newest trend in the wine world. While some may disagree with the idea, it was pioneered by Riedel, the world's foremost stemware designer. Stemless wine glasses are best used for less formal occasions, such as outdoor parties or just relaxing in a hot bath. Try serving red wine in a stemless wine glass, since it is less dependent on temperature.