Amuse Bouche Blog

If you have ever found yourself completely confused by the different shapes and sizes of wine glasses, you are not alone. Here are a few helpful hints on how to choose the correct vessel for your wine of choice, preferably a Fotinos Brothers wine.
Wine glasses generally consist of three parts, the bowl, the stem, and the foot. There are stemless wine glasses; however, the stem's purpose is to keep your hand from raising the temperature of the wine. You want the stem sturdy enough to swirl the wine without it snapping. The foot of the glass keeps it from tipping over. The foot needs to be wide enough to support the size of the bowl. Since Fotinos Brothers Winery is in the business of making fine red wines, like our 2006 Carneros Pinot Noir, let's start there.
Red Wine Glasses
Red wine glasses should be between ten and sixteen ounces. They should taper inward at the top to focus the aroma. This shape helps bring the wine to room temperature, breathe, and open up. However, if too much air gets to the wine it can loose some of its more complex aromas and nuances.
Glasses for Pinot Noirs have larger bowls and narrower openings than those for Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots. The size and shape of the opening affects where the wine hits your tongue first. You want to direct a Pinot Noir toward the tip of your tongue where the taste buds for sweetness are located. You want to direct a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot to the back of your mouth where the taste buds for bitterness are located. This allows you to experience their fuller flavors.
White Wine Glasses
White wine glasses should be eight to fourteen ounces in size. They are narrower and more tulip-shaped than red wine glasses. This shape helps retain the cooler temperature of the wine by reducing the surface space.
Sparkling Wines, and Champagnes
These bubbly liquids should be served in flutes that are tall (around 8 1/2 inches) and narrow. This shape allows the liquid to stay cooler and retain its carbonation better. You may have seen saucer-shaped, flat champagne glasses. These glasses were designed and made in England around 1663. Contrary to common folklore, they were not modeled on Marie Antoinette's breasts, as she was not even born until 1755. They were, however, replaced with the more common shape when it was discovered that the shallow-bowled glass let off the carbonic acid in the wine more quickly.
Just as taste and smell have an affect on your appreciation of the wine, so does sight. Transparent glass is preferred so you can fully observe and enjoy the color and clarity of the wine.
If you have neither the space in your cupboards nor the money for a variety of glasses go with one the size and shape of ISO‘s (the International Organization for Standardization). The standard wine tasting glass for all wine judging and competitions is also suitable for either red or white wine. It is made of transparent, colorless glass with a lead content of up to 9%. Its dimensions are just less than six inches (155 mm) tall, with a two inch (5 cm) tall stem and a four inch (100 mm) tall bowl. It is about two and a half inches (65 mm) at its widest diameter and two inches (46 mm) across the rim.
Cleaning
Regardless of which glasses you choose, don’t use dish detergent to clean them. You heard me. Dish detergent often leaves an invisible film. Wine mixed with this residual soap affects the taste and smell of the wine. You should wash your own glasses in the hottest water possible, rinse them in cold water, and then wipe them dry with a soft lintless cloth.