EP 2: Wine appreciation with the right wine glass by Asia’s Youngest Master of Wine

What Do You Like to Drink ?

The last thing to consider is your specific wine choices. Whether you usually drink red wine, white wine or other styles, it’s worth thinking realistically about your own drinking patterns. Many people see the diverse range of glass styles available and assume they need to have all of them, but in reality most wines will work in most glass styles, so you only need a few.

If you tend to drink a lot of red wines , it is important to make sure you have at least one style that has a big, spacious bowl to expose the wine to plenty of oxygen. This helps the wine release its aromas and softens the tannin texture. If you drink a lot of young wine, a glass with a wide, flat-based bowl can act like a decanter and quickly expose the wine to the air. Older wines are best served in glasses that have a relatively tight rim to hold in their aromas. Try:Lucaris Desire Elegant Red https://www.lucariscrystal.com/products/elegant-red/

If you are more of a white wine person, it’s a good idea to make sure you have two different styles of glass that match different white wine styles. A smaller tulip shaped glass (often called a “Riesling” glass) is great for younger, fresh styles of white that need to stay cool and crisp. This is also a great solution for rosé wine. A wider, more spherical shape (often called a “Burgundy” glass) actually works really well for fuller-bodied or fragrant white wines as well, since it provides plenty of room for them to release their aromas. Try:Lucaris Tokyo Temptation Riesling or Desire Rich White https://www.lucariscrystal.com/products/tokyo-temptation-riesling/ and https://www.lucariscrystal.com/products/rich-white/

For special styles, I have a few pointers. One is that you don’t necessarily need sparkling wine flutes. While they have a great celebratory look, help preserve bubbles and are very efficient for serving at cocktail events and parties, they aren’t the best for expressing the aromatic character of more complex sparkling wines. If you love luxury sparkling wines, do them a favour and put them in a small white wine glass. Try:Lucaris Desire Crisp White https://www.lucariscrystal.com/products/crisp-white/

Sweet wines often strike a delicate balance between sweetness and acidity, so to help them seem fresh and bright, it’s often a good idea to pick a glass that keeps them cool and emphasizes the acidity, like the “Riesling” glass described above. They already tend to have very powerful aromas, so the wider, flatter style glasses used to emphasize aromatic wines are not necessary and can even warm the wine too quickly, making it seem flat. Try:Lucaris Bangkok Bliss Riesling https://www.lucariscrystal.com/products/bangkok-bliss-riesling/

Finally, fortified wines are highly aromatic and powerful and need to be given plenty of room to express their personalities. Red fortified wines like vintage port also need oxygen to help mellow their tannins, so a large glass is especially beneficial. However, because the aromas are so intense and the alcohol is higher than normal, a glass with a taller bowl (like a classic “Bordeaux” glass) is a good idea to keep you from accidentally overwhelming your nose. Try:Lucaris Hong Kong Hip Bordeaux https://www.lucariscrystal.com/products/hong-kong-hip-bordeaux/

Whatever your needs, the best approach is always to stick to quality over quantity and just choose one or two shapes that really appeal to you. If you’re anything like me, you’ll often find yourself ignoring the guidance about which glass to match to which wine and simply picking the ones you most enjoy the look and feel of again and again.

Sarah Heller MW, Asia’s Youngest Master of Wine and LUCARIS Brand Ambassador in Thailand and Greater China.