It is a popular belief that the glass you use to serve a fine wine is almost as important to your enjoyment of the drink as the wine itself. The shape, colour and fabric of wine glasses are all supposed to influence the way you appreciate the flavour and aroma of a wine. Whether there is really much truth to this or not remains to be seen but there are some convincing arguments that a wine really does taste better if drunk from the right glass.

So how do we tell which ones we should be using? With so many different shapes and sizes out there it’s difficult to tell which ones will be the best. Most people agree that a specially designed glass is required for some types of wine. The most common example of this is the tall, thin champagne flutes which are designed to retain the ‘fizziness’ in sparkling wines by reducing the surface area at the top of the glass. A serious wine buff will also use different glasses for red and white wines – a rounder, wider bowl for reds to allow more space for the wine to breathe, and a slightly smaller, tulip-shaped bowl for whites to help retain their cool temperature.

But some people take this theory a lot further. Real wine geeks say that the difference between wines runs a lot deeper than just the colour, and that for each different variety of wine there is a glass designed especially to enhance the experience of drinking it. No one has taken this further than Austrian wine glass manufacturer Riedel, the company that came up with the idea. They actually produce customised glasses not only for different types of wine, but also for different varieties and vintages within each type – although few people could afford to collect the whole set!

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Iittala Senta White Wine Glasses-Set of 2
Price: $24.99
The iittala Senta White Wine Glasses come in a set of two and have a soft round cup perfect for white wine. The top of the thin stem has a decorative lip that is mirrored by a small ridge at the bottom. The base of the glass is very flat to prevent tipping.

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As for what the glass is made from, lots of people believe that a fine wine tastes better if drunk from a crystal glass. This is not entirely true – although drinking from a lead crystal glass is usually considered to be more enjoyable. It’s actually more about the aroma than the flavour, the majority of what we think we ‘taste’ when we drink wine is in fact a combination of its smell and the the evaporated aromas in the mouth. Crystal wine glasses, due to their heightened lead content (for a glass to count as ‘Crystal’ in Europe it has to contain at least 24% lead) have a slightly rougher surface than glass, which helps to release the aroma better by causing friction as the wine moves inside the glass.

Aside from this, the differences are almost entirely aesthetic. A lead crystal glass is clearer so you can see the wine better, allowing serious tasters to examine its ‘legs’ more easily. It’s also a lot heavier than glass – again because of the high lead content – sparkles more and makes that nice ringing sound when you tap it – science aside, it’s just generally more satisfying to drink from a crystal glass!

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Riedel O Cabernet Wine Glass-2 Pack
Price: $23.6
Designed by Maximilian Riedel this set of two 21.125-ounce Riedel O Cabernet Glasses has something missing – there is no stem or base. These stunning glasses are generously sized to allow the bouquet to fully develop and the shape directs the flow of wine onto the region of the tongue that perceives sweetness which accentuates the wine’s fruity flavor. O is the innovative take on the wine tumbler which for centuries has been used as an all-round drinking vessel. O is the ideal glass for everyday use and for every occasion. A glass that is easy to use it fits in every dishwasher picnic basket minibar and small kitchen. Broken stems are a thing of the past. These glasses are made of nonleaded glass and each stands 4.875 inches tall. Dishwasher-safe.The Story of RiedelFew glass makers can claim a history dating to the 17th century. But that’s when Johann Christoph Riedel began in Bohemia what would become a renowned story of glass enterprise. Modern-day Riedel continues a generations-long history of fine glassmaking with Claus Riedel innovating the technique of designing a wineglass shape according to the character of the wine. This revolutionary technique has changed the face of wineglass making the world over. Riedel embraces a holistic pleasure of life including all five senses. They are committed to creating a pleasurable zest for life out of every glass object they make. Riedel is unmatched in the world of glass.