Lindsay Ray
Sipping on a glass of wine is a sophisticated experience, and the delicacy of a wine glass is part of that. But what’s the point of that wine glass stem anyway?
It turns out a wine glass stem has a purpose other than making the glass pretty. It’s so you can hold it without affecting the wine’s temperature.
Whether your wine is white, red, or sparkling, it is meant to be consumed at a specific temperature so the flavor is at its fullest potential. When you hold the wine glass by the bulb (which many people often do), the heat from your hand warms up the wine.
This is particularly undesirable for wines meant to be chilled, and who wants a warm glass of chardonnay? Plus, warming up particular wines can make the flavor duller and even evaporate the alcohol at a faster pace.
Holding the wine glass stem is not only recommended by etiquette experts, but also allows you to swirl the glass easier, so you can enjoy all the aromas the wine brings once it touches oxygen.
Now that you know the correct way to hold it, what about washing your wine glass? We got you covered there, too!
