A Guide to Wine Goblets

To truly enjoy a glass of wine you need more than just the right vintage. Wine goblets are important because they are an integral part of wine enjoyment. Wine glasses are basically shaped like tulips -- with a base, stem and body. Traditionally drinking goblets are held by the stem to prevent the temperature of the hands from influencing the temperature of the wine. Most of these wine vessels are crafted from thin glass or crystal because if glass is too thick experts believe it has an effect on the taste of the wine. The entire purpose of the goblet, besides holding liquid, is to enhance enjoyment of various types of wine.

For red wine you will need crystal wine goblets that are somewhat wide and tall to showcase the complex flavors. Bordeaux glasses are made for full bodied reds like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Bordeaux glasses allow air to reach the wine and brings out the varied aromas. Burgundy glasses have larger bowls than Bordeaux glasses and are perfect for wines like Pinot Noir. The reason Burgundy glasses are used is to guide the wine to the tip of the tongue where sweet flavors are experienced.

For white wine stemware is smaller so the wine will stay cool. If the wine is young and crisp, the opening of the glass should be a little bit bigger than the body to emphasize the sweet flavor. Older white wine can be enjoyed using a glass with a body that is tall and straight which helps bring out the bold notes. A white wine glass of this type will look like a Bordeaux glass only not as wide in diameter and slightly taller in height. You might also want a Rose wine glass, which features a small yet wide body especially for the crisp flavors and aromas of rose wines.

Champagne goblets are the tallest, most narrow variety of wine glass. This design allows for the accumulation of champagne bubbles. As you can see there are many different choices when it comes to wine goblets. If you have a favorite type of wine you can get by with one or two different types of glasses, however if you like to change things around a varied collection of stemware is in order. With the right goblet style you can bring out the best qualities contained in any wine or champagne.