White Wines
White wines, though not as complicated as red wines, require special wine glasses to maximize their flavor and charm. While red wines require the correct amount of aeration, white wines tend to be more delicate, and often cannot be aged as long as red wines. The proper wine glass allows you to preserve the original flavor and condense the wine’s sweetness.
The best general white wine glass is one that is gently tapered with a narrow brim. Having less fullness at the bottom with a narrow brim brings out the maximum flavor. The narrow brim also allows the wine drinker to smell the sweetness of the white wine as they bring the glass to their nose. Smell is an important part of the wine drinking process and a narrow brim maximizes this experience. In comparison, red wines should be consumed in wide brimmed glasses while white wines should be consumed in glasses with a narrow brim.
For white wines, you should never buy a glass that doesn’t have a stem. Some new modern glasses are shaped like a wine glass, but lack a stem for simplicity. When you hold a wine glass at the bottom, your body heat gradually warms the white wine, which detracts from the white’s flavor. An important concept when reviewing white wine online, is that if you have a white wine glass with a stem, never hold the stem near the base of the wine.
Whether or not you have white or red wine, try to stay away from the crystal wine glasses that do not allow you to see the full color of the wine. While they may look nice, fancy crystal keeps you from seeing the color and clarity of the wine you’re drinking. Seeing the color and purity of the wine allows you to fully appreciate the quality of any type of wine!