Why are there two different shapes of Champagne glasses, one tall, one short?
The short, wide “sherbet” type of glass is beyond pass! Never use them for anything but dessert. They 1) dissipate the bubbles quickly so the Champagne goes flat; 2) they don’t display the beautiful bubbles well; and 3) they leave no room for the aroma molecules to concentrate so you can smell the bouquet as well. Use the tall, thin “flute” shaped Champagne glass. It works beautifully to preserve and display the bubbles. In addition it leaves room so you can smell the wine better. Fill the flute 3/4 full. A trick to prevent the bubbles from foaming up and over the top of the glass is to pour a small amount in the glass, wait for the foam to subside, then pour the rest of the Champagne in. For you history buffs, the origin of the “sherbet” shaped glass is France where a glass blower honored Marie Antoinette, but creating the “sherbet” glass in the shape of her breast. I kid you not!
