Which Glass Is This? And Why The Shape Matters

After my email last week on the different Riedel ranges, I was contacted by a customer who asked for a way of identifying which wines the Riedel glasses he already owned were best for, as he had forgotten.

This is an issue I'm sure many of you have and whilst you can, obviously, use any glass for any wine, the whole point of investing in Riedel glasses is to take advantage of their grape specific nature and unlock the ideal taste and sensation of your favourite wine.

The glasses in your cupboard will probably be one of a few "basic" shapes that will, hopefully, give you a clue as to which ones to use in the future. 

The Science Behind the Shape

Before we dive into the different shapes, let's get one thing straight. The shape of your wine glass affects your wine in three key ways:

1. Aroma delivery – The bowl shape concentrates aromas and directs them to your nose
2. Oxygen exposure – Different wines need different amounts of air contact
3. Palate mapping – The rim design directs wine to specific areas of your tongue

Aroma delivery is particularly important, because our sense of smell actually provides most of what we perceive as "flavour." When we drink wine, approximately 80% of what we experience as taste comes from our sense of smell, not our taste buds.

Here's why the nose is so important:

1. Aromatic complexity - Our noses can detect thousands of different aromas, while our taste buds primarily sense just sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. Those complex notes of cherry, leather, vanilla, or fresh-cut grass? That's all coming through your nose.
2. Anticipation and preparation - Smelling wine before tasting prepares your palate by creating expectations and priming your brain for the experience to come.
3. Detecting nuance - Many of wine's most interesting characteristics (floral notes, minerality, earthiness, spice) are primarily detected through smell rather than taste.
4. Detecting flaws - Issues like cork taint (TCA), oxidation, or bacterial spoilage are often more easily detected by smell than taste.
5. Retronasal olfaction - (Who knew that was a thing?) When you sip wine, volatilized aromas travel up behind your palate into your nasal passages from inside your mouth, creating another dimension of aromatic perception.

This is precisely why wine glasses are designed with specific shapes - to capture, concentrate, and direct these crucial aromas to your nose. The proper glass ensures those aromatic compounds have the right amount of air exposure and are channelled efficiently to your olfactory receptors rather than dispersing into the surrounding air.

Riedel didn't just pull the various glass shapes out of thin air. Each one is born from comparative tasting sessions where winemakers and sommeliers meticulously analyse how different shapes affect the experience of drinking wine. It's not about what looks pretty – it's about what works.

Bordeaux/Cabernet Glasses Burgundy/Pinot Noir Glasses Champagne and Sparkling Wine Glasses Oaked Chardonnay Glasses Port Glasses Riesling/Zinfandel Glasses Sauvignon Blanc Glasses Syrah/Shiraz Glasses

 

Red Wine Glass Shapes: The Big Three

The Bordeaux/Cabernet Glass

The Bordeaux (or Cabernet Sauvignon) glass is probably what pops into your mind when someone says "wine glass." It's the tall one with a large bowl that tapers slightly at the top – and it's our best-seller for good reason. You could call it the Swiss Army knife of wine glasses, as its versatile shape works well with most red wines, which is why it's found in so many homes and restaurants worldwide.

What makes this glass so special? Let's dive into the details. The Cabernet glass features relatively straight sides compared to many other wine glass shapes, coupled with an average-length stem, a wide, stable base, and that characteristic large bowl that tapers slightly at the top. This specific architecture isn't just aesthetically pleasing – it's a masterpiece of functional design.

When you pour a bold red wine into a Cabernet glass, several things happen simultaneously. First, the generous bowl provides substantial surface area for the wine to interact with oxygen – a critical factor for those robust, tannic wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, or classic Bordeaux blends. This oxygen contact performs a bit of quick alchemy, softening those mouth-puckering tannins and coaxing out the rich fruit flavours that might otherwise remain hidden behind the wine's structure.

The slight taper at the top performs another crucial function – it directs and concentrates the wine's aromas toward your nose while also guiding the flow of wine to the middle of your palate when you sip. This central palate placement is where you can best appreciate complex flavours without being overwhelmed by the wine's strength or acidity.

Beyond the classic Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends, this glass shape works wonderfully with other full-bodied, tannic red wines like:

• Margaux

• Pomerol

• Petit Verdot

• Mourvedre

• St Émilion

• Many New World red blends

What should you avoid using it for? Despite its versatility, the Cabernet glass isn't ideal for lighter-bodied wines. Lighter reds like Beaujolais would get lost in this glass – their subtle aromas would dissipate in the large bowl, and their delicate structure would seem thin and underwhelming.

TRS tip: If you're only going to invest in one set of wine glasses, make it this one – the Bordeaux/Cabernet shape will serve you well for most red wines and can even do a decent job with fuller-bodied whites like oaked Chardonnay in a pinch.

The Burgundy/Pinot Noir Glass

If the Bordeaux glass is tall and confident, the Burgundy glass is wide and welcoming. With its distinctively broad bowl and tapered rim, it looks almost balloon-like – and there's a reason why. This glass is designed for one of the most temperamental and revered grapes in the world.

Let's talk dimensions: the Burgundy glass is usually not as tall as the Cabernet glass, but what it lacks in height, it makes up for in width. Its much wider and shorter bowl creates an entirely different sipping experience. Where the Cabernet glass is about taming boldness, the Burgundy glass is about coaxing out subtlety and nuance.

Pinot Noir, the prima donna of red grapes, is known for its delicate, complex aromas and its lower tannin structure compared to Cabernet. This thin-skinned grape creates wines that are more about finesse than power and the dramatically wide bowl of the Burgundy glass provides an enormous surface area that exposes the wine to plenty of air, which is crucial for unlocking Pinot's sometimes shy but always complex aromatic profile.

When you swirl wine in this glass (and you should!), the large surface area allows for maximum aeration, helping those delicate aromas of cherry, raspberry, mushroom, forest floor, and sometimes even barnyard (in the best possible way) to fully develop. Then, the magic happens – the tapered rim concentrates these aromas, directing them straight to your nose for maximum appreciation.

But the genius doesn't stop at the nose. Some Burgundy glasses have a slightly outturned lip at the very edge of the rim – a subtle detail that dramatically affects how the wine flows into your mouth. This design directs the wine first to the tip of your tongue, where you perceive sweetness, highlighting Pinot Noir's fruit-forward character. The result is that the wine's delicate fruit flavours hit your palate before its acidity or any subtle bitterness, creating a perfectly balanced tasting experience.

Beyond classic Burgundy and Pinot Noir, this magnificent glass works wonders with:

• Nebbiolo (Barolo and Barbaresco)
• Gamay (Beaujolais)
• Grenache/Garnacha
• Lighter styles of Sangiovese
• Rosé Champagne

The out-turned rim design works particularly well with New World Pinots from Oregon, California, and New Zealand, as well as with those splurge-worthy Burgundy Grand Crus. With these wines, the glass helps tame the sometimes more prominent fruit while still allowing their unique terroir characteristics to shine.

The only real downside? These glasses tend to be among the most delicate in any collection due to their wide bowls and thin glass. Handle with care – but the sensory rewards are well worth the extra attention.

The Syrah/Shiraz Glass

The Syrah/Shiraz glass is truly a standout in any glass collection – literally, as it's typically the tallest of all red wine glasses. This elegant giant features an elongated bowl with a distinctive taper towards the top.

Height matters with this glass, and it's not just for show. Syrah (or Shiraz, as it's known in Australia) is a fascinating grape that produces wines with intensely complex aromatic profiles. We're talking about a spectrum that can range from violets, blackberries, and plums to cracked black pepper, smoke, bacon, and even olives. That's quite the aromatic party! The tall, narrower bowl of this glass creates a perfect staging area for these diverse aromas to line up and introduce themselves to your nose in proper sequence.

This sequencing is where the glass truly shines. The distinct taper towards the top creates a dramatic effect – it helps bring out the fruit aromas first and the tannins after. This is critical because Syrah can pack quite a punch in both the fruit and spice departments. Without the right glass, these elements can compete with each other, creating an overwhelming jumble of sensations.

The Syrah glass orchestrates a more civilized introduction, allowing you to appreciate the lush fruit notes before the pepper, spice, and tannins make their entrance.

Think of it as the difference between everyone at a party talking at once versus guests being introduced one by one – both approaches get you acquainted, but the latter is infinitely more pleasant and memorable!

The elongated bowl also serves another crucial purpose. Syrah is known for being a full-bodied wine, often with significant alcohol content (especially those sun-drenched Australian Shiraz bombs that can reach 15-16% ABV). The tall design gives the alcohol vapours room to dissipate, preventing them from overpowering the more delicate aromatic elements. It's like having a built-in decanter that works its magic with every sip.

What's particularly interesting about the Syrah glass is how it balances two seemingly contradictory needs – it both concentrates and tempers the wine's characteristics. The narrower opening concentrates the aromas, while the height of the glass softens the wine's sometimes aggressive edges. It's a brilliant bit of engineering.

Beyond classic Northern Rhône Syrah and Australian Shiraz, this specialized glass works beautifully with:

• Petite Sirah
• Mourvèdre
• GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre) blends
• Robust Pinotage
• Some styles of Malbec
• Tannat
• Montepulciano

If you enjoy bold, spicy reds that still have finesse, this glass is an essential addition to your collection. Yes, they take up a bit more cabinet space than your average wine glass, but the sensory experience they deliver is worth every millimetre.

White Wine Glasses: Small But Mighty

White wine glasses are generally smaller than red wine glasses, but don't let their diminutive stature fool you – their designs are just as thoughtful.

The Oaked Chardonnay Glass

The Oaked Chardonnay (Montrachet) glass might look like it's suffering from a slight identity crisis – not quite as big and bold as its Burgundy cousin, but certainly more generously proportioned than other white wine glasses. This in-between status is perfectly appropriate, as Chardonnay itself often straddles the worlds of white and red wine in terms of complexity and structure.

Look closely and you'll see that the Chardonnay glass resembles a smaller version of the Pinot Noir balloon, and that's absolutely no coincidence. There's a historical and practical connection here – Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the two key grapes of Burgundy, grown in the same soils, often by the same producers, and crafted with similar philosophies. Their respective glasses reflect this kinship while adapting to each grape's specific needs.

Full-bodied, oak-aged whites like Chardonnay develop complex secondary aromas that can rival those found in red wines. While your typical Sauvignon Blanc might be all about primary fruit and herbaceous notes, a well-crafted Chardonnay unfolds like a Russian doll to reveal layer after layer – ripe orchard fruits giving way to butter, toast, vanilla, hazelnut, baking spices, sometimes even a hint of struck match or gunflint (which sounds dreadful but can be utterly delicious in the right context).

The relatively wide bowl of the Chardonnay glass captures and concentrates these nuanced aromas, giving them space to develop while still preserving the wine's freshness. The slightly narrower opening compared to the Burgundy glass ensures that these aromas are funnelled toward your nose, while also directing the flow of wine to hit your palate in just the right places – typically mid-palate where you can best appreciate Chardonnay's balance of fruit, oak, acidity, and minerality.

Temperature management is another crucial factor in the Chardonnay glass design. These wines are typically served cooler than reds but warmer than lighter whites – roughly 10-13°C (50-55°F) is the sweet spot for most quality Chardonnays. The bowl shape allows for some warming in the hand (if you hold it by the bowl, which I occasionally permit for Chardonnay despite the general rule about using the stem), but not so much that the wine becomes flabby.

The genius of the Chardonnay glass extends far beyond its namesake grape. It's perfect for:

• White Burgundy (which is, of course, Chardonnay)
• Oaked Chardonnays from California, Australia, or Chile
• White Rioja
• Richer styles of Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio (particularly from Alsace)
• Those trendy orange wines that have become the darlings of hipster wine bars
• Some fuller-bodied Chenin Blancs
• Pouilly-Fuissé

The versatility of this glass makes it an essential part of any serious wine lover's collection. If you enjoy whites with substance and complexity, you simply cannot do without it.

If you're still sceptical, try this experiment: Take any decent Chardonnay (it doesn't have to be expensive) and taste it side by side from a proper Chardonnay glass and a standard wine glass or tumbler. The difference will convert you faster than you can say "malolactic fermentation."

The Sauvignon Blanc Glass

Slimmer than the Chardonnay glass, with a more focused opening, the Sauvignon Blanc glass is precision engineering for wines that are all about immediate aromatic impact and lively freshness.

Crisp, aromatic whites like Sauvignon Blanc present a unique challenge for glassware. These wines are aromatic powerhouses – think of that classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with its explosive bouquet of gooseberry, passion fruit, green bell pepper, and freshly cut grass. The aromas are so intense that they need to be contained and focused rather than given room to expand, as is the case with more subtle varieties.

This is where the taller, slimmer bowl comes into play – it concentrates the wine's vibrant aromatics in a more vertical space. The narrower design also limits the surface area of the wine exposed to air, helping to preserve those primary fruit and herbal characters that make Sauvignon Blanc so distinctive. Too much oxygen too quickly would cause these delicate aromas to dissipate, which is why the more modest opening of the glass is so crucial.

But the real genius of the Sauvignon Blanc glass becomes apparent when you take a sip. The tall design with its narrower opening does something incredibly clever with these higher-acid wines – it directs the flow to the centre of your tongue, rather than the sides where you perceive acidity most strongly. This strategic delivery system means you get all the bright, zesty flavours that make Sauvignon Blanc so refreshing, without the wine seeming too sharp, aggressive, or tart.

It's a bit like the difference between biting into a whole lemon (overwhelming!) and having a perfectly balanced lemon tart where the acidity is complemented by other elements. The glass doesn't change the acid level of the wine, but it dramatically changes how you perceive it.

If you've ever had a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that seemed overwhelmingly pungent or aggressively acidic, there's a good chance it was served in the wrong glass! The proper glass tames that intensity without dimming the wine's essential character, allowing the fruit and herbal notes to shine without the acidity becoming too dominant.

Beyond the classic Sauvignon Blanc, this glass works beautifully with:

• Grüner Veltliner from Austria
• Vermentino from Italy
• Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé
• Vouvray
• Tokaji
• Younger, unoaked Sémillon

In comparative tasting, the Sauvignon Blanc glass usually produces the most dramatic reactions. Serving it in both a proper Sauvignon Blanc glass and a generic white wine glass, the responses have been fascinating, with the wine from the proper glass being described as "more balanced," "less acidic," and "more complex," while the exact same wine from the standard glass was described as "sharp," "one-dimensional," and "too aggressive."

For me, the Sauvignon Blanc glass is an absolute essential for anyone who enjoys crisp, aromatic whites. It transforms good wines into great experiences, and even makes more affordable options taste like they're punching well above their weight.

 

The Riesling/Zinfandel Glass

The Riesling/Zinfandel glass is the Swiss Army knife of the white wine glass world – versatile, reliable, and capable of handling a surprisingly diverse range of wines with aplomb. Its design sits somewhere between the laser-focused Sauvignon Blanc glass and the more generous Chardonnay vessel, creating a happy medium that works beautifully for many aromatic and medium-bodied wines.

What makes this glass so special is its elegant balance of seemingly contradictory needs. It features a tall, tapered design that concentrates the fruity aromas in the upper portion of the bowl – essential for capturing the ethereal floral and fruit notes of a fine Riesling or Gewürztraminer. But unlike the Sauvignon Blanc glass, it has slightly straighter sides that allow just enough oxygen contact to let the wine breathe without losing its essential freshness.

This particular shape performs a delicate balancing act with Riesling, which needs both aroma concentration and a controlled amount of aeration. The glass preserves the wine's lively character while allowing you to appreciate its remarkable complexity. As any Riesling lover knows, these wines can span an incredible spectrum from bone-dry to lusciously sweet, and from delicately floral to intensely mineral. The Riesling glass somehow manages to accommodate this entire range, bringing out the best in each style.

The name "Riesling/Zinfandel" might seem puzzling at first – how could the same glass work for both a delicate white and a robust red? The answer lies in what these wines share rather than what differentiates them. Both Riesling and Zinfandel tend to be fruit-forward, aromatic, and often have notable acidity. Both benefit from a glass that showcases their fruitiness while tempering any excessive sharpness or spice.

For Zinfandel, particularly those on the lighter side, this glass tames the alcohol that can sometimes overwhelm the fruit, while still allowing the wine's characteristic berry notes to shine. It's a remarkable feat of cross-category versatility that few other glass shapes can achieve.

Beyond its namesake wines, this shape works beautifully with:

• Chianti
• Châteauneuf-du-Pape red
• Cinsault
• Crozes-Hermitage
• Valpolicella
• Daiginjo Ricewine

If you're building a wine glass collection and need to keep things reasonable, this multi-talented glass would be high on my recommendation list. It handles so many different wines with grace that you'll find yourself reaching for it time and again. 

 

 

Champagne and Sparkling Wine Glasses

The world of sparkling wine glassware is in the midst of a fascinating revolution. For decades, the classic options seemed well established – you either went with tradition (the coupe) or function (the flute). But recently, there's been a dramatic rethinking of how we should serve and enjoy these effervescent treasures.

Let's start with a bit of glassware mythology: the flat, wide coupe glass was supposedly modelled after Marie Antoinette's breast, which makes for a delightful story, but is, unfortunately, almost certainly just that - the glass was designed about a century before the ill-fated queen's reign.

The coupe had its heyday in the early 20th century, particularly during the prohibition era and the roaring twenties when champagne cocktails were all the rage. While romantically nostalgic and undeniably elegant, the coupe's wide, shallow bowl causes bubbles to dissipate rapidly and aromas to escape before they can be properly appreciated.

For serious sparkling wine enjoyment, there have traditionally been two main contenders:

The Flute: Tall, narrow, and undeniably elegant, the champagne flute has dominated sparkling wine service for decades. Its primary virtue is functional – the limited surface area preserves the wine's effervescence beautifully, ensuring those delightful bubbles last as long as possible (and you can get lots of them on a tray when serving). There's also something ceremonial about the flute – it instantly signals celebration and festivity.

However, the flute's most significant drawback is that same narrow opening, which significantly limits aroma development and expression. This wasn't considered much of an issue when champagne was valued primarily for its bubbles and refreshment rather than its complexity, but as appreciation for fine sparkling wine has evolved, so too has glassware thinking.

The Tulip: Recognizing the flute's limitations, glass designers developed the tulip shape – wider in the middle to allow aromas to develop and collect, but tapering at the top to concentrate the bouquet while still preserving bubbles. This ingenious compromise offers the best of both worlds – bubble preservation and aroma expression. The tulip has become the go-to glass for champagne connoisseurs who want both the visual and tactile pleasure of persistent bubbles along with the aromatic complexity that fine champagnes can offer.

What's particularly fascinating is the latest development in this story: many prestigious Champagne houses now recommend serving their finest cuvées in white wine glasses rather than traditional flutes. Houses like Krug, Dom Pérignon, and Ruinart have embraced this approach, recognising that their most complex offerings – particularly vintage and prestige cuvées that have developed secondary and tertiary aromas through ageing – benefit tremendously from the wider bowl of a white wine glass, typically a Chardonnay or even a smaller Burgundy-style glass.

This makes perfect sense when you consider that many of the finest champagnes are predominantly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – the same grapes used for still white Burgundy and red Burgundy. The wider bowl allows these complex wines to breathe and express their full aromatic range, from brioche and toast to apple, citrus, and beyond. The trade-off is slightly faster dissipation of bubbles, but with truly fine champagne, the bubbles should be fine and persistent enough to last through a proper tasting experience even in a wider glass.

I've conducted this experiment at home numerous times, and the difference can be startling. A champagne served in both a flute and a white wine glass can seem like two entirely different wines – the flute highlighting the wine's freshness and zing but somewhat muting its complexity, while the wider glass reveals layers of aroma and flavour that remain hidden in the narrower vessel.

So, what's the ultimate recommendation? It depends on your priorities:

• For casual sipping and celebrations where the visual appeal of persistent bubbles matters most: the flute
• For serious tasting of quality sparkling wines where you want both bubbles and aromatics: the tulip
• For the most complex vintage champagnes and prestige cuvées where aroma expression is paramount: a white wine glass

Let’s be honest, there's something undeniably celebratory about a row of elegant flutes filled with dancing bubbles, even if it's not technically the "best" way to appreciate a fine champagne's complexity.

 

The Port Glass

Sweet wines and fortified options like Port, Sherry, and Madeira have their own dedicated glasses for good reason – these wines typically combine higher alcohol content (17-22% ABV compared to 12-14% for table wines), greater viscosity, more pronounced sweetness, and often incredibly complex aromatic profiles that require special consideration.

The classic Port glass resembles a miniature version of a red wine glass, with a small bowl that narrows slightly toward the rim. This diminutive stature serves several important purposes. First, smaller portions are appropriate for both enjoyment and responsibility with higher-alcohol fortified wines. The smaller bowl also accommodates the richness and intensity of these wines – a full-sized glass of vintage Port would be overwhelming rather than pleasurable.

What makes this design particularly ingenious is how it concentrates the rich aromas of dried fruits, nuts, caramel, and spice that characterise aged Port, while the slightly narrower opening helps direct the flow of the wine away from the front of the palate, where sweetness is most acutely perceived. This clever delivery system allows you to appreciate the wine's complexity beyond its sugar content.

The modest size also helps preserve temperature – crucial for Port, which is best slightly cooler than room temperature (around 16-18°C/60-64°F for Vintage Port and slightly cooler for Ruby and Tawny styles).

I have a particular soft spot for Port glasses, as they were my unconscious first step into the world of specialised wine glasses. My first "proper" wine glass purchase was a pair of Port glasses, bought from the Institute of Port Wine in Lisbon, specifically to enjoy a bottle of Taylor's 1966 Vintage I'd been saving for a special occasion.

The layers of aroma and flavour that were revealed were astounding.

The Practical Side of Glass Selection

Now, I understand that not everyone has the space (or budget) for a dozen different glass types. If you're looking to build a practical collection, here's my advice:

1. Start with the wines you drink most often: If you're a Cabernet fan, invest in proper Bordeaux glasses first
2. The power trio: A set each of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Sauvignon Blanc glasses will cover about 80% of your wine needs
3. Add specialists as needed: If you regularly enjoy Oaked Chardonnay or Champagne, add those specific glasses next

Remember, the right glass doesn't have to be expensive – it just needs to have the proper shape. There are excellent options at various price points.

The Ultimate Test: Try It Yourself

There’s a simple experiment that you can easily replicate at home:

Take the same wine and pour it into two or three different glass shapes. Try them side by side without looking which is which (get someone to help you).

I guarantee you'll be surprised at how different the same wine can taste from different glasses.

Even casual drinkers can immediately tell the difference. I've seen the lightbulb moment happen countless times at tastings.

Final Thoughts: 

The beauty of wine is in the experience – the way it engages all your senses and creates moments of discovery. The right glass shape isn't about showing how clever you are or impressing friends (though it might do both); it's about removing obstacles between you and the full enjoyment of wine.

So next time you pour yourself something special, give a thought to what vessel it deserves.

Your taste buds – and the winemaker who crafted that bottle – will thank you.

Cheers to drinking better, not just more expensively!

P.S. If you're ever wondering which glass to use for a particular wine and can't remember, just look at the shape – the bigger, more robust wines generally want the bigger glasses, while the lighter, more delicate ones prefer the smaller ones. When in doubt, the Bordeaux shape works as an excellent all-rounder.