What kind of glass is best for serving wine?
A. Thick, etched crystal glasses may be more impressive than clear glasses, but they’re less useful for enjoying wine. Get simple, clear glasses without etching or color—so you can see the wine unadorned. Buy glasses with large bowls so that you can swirl and aerate the wine. Without an aroma, wine can appear flat and dull. The rims on the glasses should fold inward, like the shape of a tulip. This focuses the wine’s aroma. A trumpet-shaped glass cannot do that. Always buy glasses with a thin rim. Wine flows more easily over a thin, rather than a rolled, rim. The reason for the stem on a glass is to give you a place to hold the glass without cupping the bowl and warming the wine. So, just be sure that the stems are adequate for that. The best glass for sparkling wine is a flute, because it both keeps the bubbles from dissipating and allows you to watch them ascend through the liquid.
