A 

wine glass is a type of glass that is used to drink and taste wine. Most wine glasses
are stemware, that is they are goblets composed of three parts: the bowl, stem, and foot.

Contents

 1Shapes
o 1.1Red wine glasses
o 1.2White wine glasses
o 1.3Champagne flutes
o 1.4Sherry glass
o 1.5Boccalino
 2Use
 3Materials
 4Decoration
 5ISO wine tasting glass
 6Measures in licensed premises
 7Capacity measure
 8See also
 9References
 10External links

Shapes[edit]

Variety of shapes of wine glasses and flutes

The effect of glass shape on the taste of wine has not been demonstrated decisively by any scientific
study and remains a matter of debate. One study[1] suggests that the shape of the glass is important,
as it concentrates the flavour and aroma (or bouquet) to emphasize the varietal's characteristic. One
common belief is that the shape of the glass directs the wine itself into the best area of the mouth for
the varietal[2] despite flavour being perceived by olfaction in the upper nasal cavity, not the mouth.
[dubious  –  discuss]
 The importance of wine glass shape could also be based on false ideas about the
arrangement of different taste buds on the tongue, such as the thoroughly discredited tongue map.
[citation needed]

Most wine glasses are stemware, that is they are goblets composed of three parts: the bowl, stem,
and foot. In some designs, the opening of the glass is narrower than the widest part of the bowl (to
concentrate the aroma[3]), others are more conical. In addition, "stemless" wine glasses (tumblers)
are available in a variety of sizes and shapes.[4] The latter are typically used more casually than their
traditional counterparts, as they negate the benefits of using stemmed wine glasses.[citation needed]
Some common types of wine glasses are described below.

Red wine glasses[edit]

Glasses for red wine are characterized by their rounder, wider bowl, which increases the rate of
oxidation.[citation needed] As oxygen from the air chemically interacts with the wine, flavor and aroma are
believed to be subtly altered. This process of oxidation is generally considered more compatible with
red wines, whose complex flavours are said to be smoothed out after being exposed to air. Red wine
glasses can have particular styles of their own, such as

 Bordeaux glass: tall with a broad bowl, and is designed for full bodied red wines
like Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah as it directs wine to the back of the mouth.
 Burgundy glass: broader than the Bordeaux glass, it has a bigger bowl to accumulate
aromas of more delicate red wines such as Pinot noir. This style of glass directs wine to
the tip of the tongue.[5]
White wine glasses[edit]

White wine glasses vary enormously in size and shape, from the delicately tapered Champagne
flute, to the wide and shallow glasses used to drink Chardonnay. Different shaped glasses are used
to accentuate the unique characteristics of different styles of wine. Wide-mouthed glasses function
similarly to red wine glasses discussed above, promoting rapid oxidation which alters the flavor of
the wine.[citation needed] White wines which are best served slightly oxidized are generally full-flavored
wines, such as oaked chardonnay. For lighter, fresher styles of white wine, oxidation is less
desirable as it is seen to mask the delicate nuances of the wine.[citation needed] To preserve a crisp, clean
flavor, many white wine glasses will have a smaller mouth, which reduces surface area and in turn,
the rate of oxidization. In the case of sparkling wine, such as Champagne or Asti, an even smaller
mouth is used to keep the wine sparkling longer in the glass.

Champagne flutes[edit]
Main article: Champagne stemware
Champagne flutes are characterised by a long stem with a tall, narrow bowl on top. The shape is
designed to keep sparkling wine desirable during its consumption. Just as with wine glasses, the
flute is designed to be held by the stem to help prevent the heat from the hand from warming the
liquid inside. The bowl itself is designed in a manner to help retain the signature carbonation in the
beverage. This is achieved by reducing the surface area at the opening of the bowl. Additionally, the
flute design adds to the aesthetic appeal of champagne, allowing the bubbles to travel further due to
the narrow design, giving a more pleasant visual appeal.

Sherry glass[edit]

A sherry copita

A sherry glass

A sherry glass or schooner is drinkware generally used for serving aromatic alcoholic beverages,

such as sherry, port, aperitifs, and liqueurs, and layered shooters. The copita, with its aroma-
enhancing narrow taper, is a type of sherry glass.

Boccalino[edit]

Five Boccalini

A boccalino is a mug used in Ticino, Switzerland, to drink local wine (Merlot or similar). It has a

volume of approximately 200 ml.

Use[edit]
Some authors recommend one holds the glass by the stem, to avoid warming the wine and
smudging the bowl.[3]

Materials[edit]
High quality wine glasses once were made of lead glass, which has a higher index of refraction and
is heavier than ordinary glass, but health concerns regarding the ingestion of lead resulted in their
being replaced by lead-free glass.[6] Wine glasses, with the exception of the hock glass, are generally
not coloured or frosted as doing so would diminish appreciation of the wine's colour.[3] There used to
be an ISO standard (ISO/PAS IWA 8:2009) for glass clarity and freedom from lead and other heavy
metals, but it was withdrawn.[7]
Some producers of high-end wine glasses such as Schott Zwiesel have pioneered methods of
infusing titanium into the glass to increase its durability and reduce the likelihood of the glass
breaking.[8]

Decoration[edit]
In the 18th Century, glass makers would draw spiral patterns in the stem as they made the glass. If
they used air bubbles it was called an airtwist; if they used threads, either white or coloured, it would
be called opaque twist.[9]

ISO wine tasting glass[edit]

The International Organization for Standardization has a specification (ISO 3591:1977) for a wine-
tasting glass. It consists of a cup (an "elongated egg") supported on a stem resting on a base.

INAO official wine tasting glass.

The glass of reference is the INAO wine glass, a tool defined by specifications of the French
Association for Standardization (AFNOR), which was adopted by INAO as the official glass in 1970,
received its standard AFNOR in June 1971 and its ISO 3591 standard in 1972.[10] The INAO has not
submitted a file at the National Institute of Industrial Property, it is therefore copied en masse and
has gradually replaced other tasting glasses in the world.[11]
The glass must be lead crystal (9% lead). Its dimensions give it a total volume between 210 mL and
225 mL, they are defined as follows:

 Diameter of the rim: 46 mm

 Calyx height: 100 mm
  Height of the foot: 55 mm
 Shoulder diameter: 65 mm
 Foot diameter: 9 mm
 Diameter of the base: 65 mm
The opening is narrower than the convex part so as to concentrate the bouquet. The capacity is
approximately 215 ml, but it is intended to take a 50 ml pour.[12] Some glasses of a similar shape, but
with different capacities, may be loosely referred to as ISO glasses, but they form no part of the ISO
specification.

Measures in licensed premises[edit]

The examples and perspective in this section may not
represent a worldwide view of the subject. You
may improve this section, discuss the issue on the talk page,
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In the UK there has been a steady trend away from serving wine in the standard size of 125 ml,
towards the larger size of 250 ml, even though, since 1 October 2010, alcohol retailers have been
obliged by law to offer customers the choice of a smaller measure. A code of practice, introduced in
April 2010 as an extension to the Licensing Act 2003, contains five mandatory conditions for the sale
of alcohol, including an obligation for the licensee to make the customer aware that small measures
are available.[13]

Capacity measure