What Is the Proper Way to Hold Glassware When Serving Wine?

Wine etiquette is an important skill to master. Using the correct type of glassware and correctly serving the wine can significantly influence a wine's flavor and aroma. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to know where to start when it comes to learning this essential skill.

If you want to ensure that a bottle of wine is enjoyed as thoroughly as possible, you should follow all of the essential steps of glass and serving etiquette. In this article, we explain everything you need to know about glass etiquette and serving wine.

What Is Glass Etiquette?

Glass etiquette is a set of rules concerning wine glasses that promotes politeness and full enjoyment of the wine itself. If you’re serving wine, you should have a basic understanding of wine etiquette to ensure that the tasting goes as smoothly as possible.

Here are the basic rules of glass etiquette that you need to know.

• You should only use each glass for one beverage. Don’t refill a glass with a different wine or beverage.
• Use the correct wine glass for each type of wine. Red wine should be served in a large and wide glass that will aerate the wine, while white wine should be served in a glass with a long stem that will preserve the temperature.
• Refer to table etiquette to set the wine glass correctly. Generally, the wine glass should be placed at the upper right corner of the plate, just behind and to the right of the water glass. If you’re serving several wines, the glasses should be placed from left to right in the order that you’ll use them.
• You should fill the glasses correctly. Red wine should be filled to a third of the glass, while white wine should be filled halfway up the glass. Sparkling wine or champagne should fill three-quarters of the flute or tulip.
• Don’t touch the glass, even before you’ve poured the drinks. It’s not just the temperature of the wine that you have to worry about. Avoiding touching the bowl of the wine glasses will ensure no unsightly marks or smudges later on.
• Check your glassware before you use it. You shouldn’t use wine glasses that are cracked, chipped, smudged, foggy, stained, or otherwise damaged.
• Don’t use glassware fresh out of the dishwasher. The hot glass will warm the drinks. Depending on the type of glass and how cold the wine is, it could even result in the glassware shattering. You should only use wine glasses at a neutral temperature.
• Store your glassware properly when it’s not in use. This is particularly important with delicate glasses. You should ideally have a proper shelf or storage system for your glassware.

What Is the Proper Way to Hold Glassware When Serving Wine?

While serving the wine, you’ll need to ensure that you’re holding the glasses correctly. The reason why is simple: holding the glass correctly reduces the risk of spills and keeps the wine at the proper serving temperature.

If you’re holding a tray of glassware, you’ll need to balance the tray carefully to ensure that none of the drinks spill. You should rest the weight of the tray on your fingers and palm, holding the tray close to your body and your shoulder in a natural position. Avoid turning or moving the tray itself.

If you’re holding single glasses of wine, you should hold each glass by the middle of the stem using your thumb, pointer finger, and middle finger. This will allow you to keep the wine stable while also ensuring that your hands don’t warm the wine.

Depending on the type of wine, you should hold the glass differently. Red wine is best held towards the base of the stem to make swirling and aerating the wine easy. You should hold white wine towards the middle of the stem.

What Is the Proper Way to Pour a Glass Of Wine?

Beyond holding the glasses of wine correctly, you’ll also need to learn to pour wine correctly if you intend to host a wine tasting or dinner. As long as you take the right steps and get the proper practice, pouring wine properly is a simple task.

To start, you should place the glassware on the table. This will make the process significantly more stable and allow you more control over the bottle of wine. Next, you should prepare to pour by gripping the bottle's lower half with one hand.

Next, you should uncork the bottle with a wine opener. You should cut the top of the foil on the lip of the wine bottle. Next, poke the wine opener through the cork. You should ensure that the point of the wine opener is slightly off-center to reduce the probability of tearing the cork. Gently turn the corkscrew into the cork.

Once the wine opener is secured in the cork, pull to open the bottle. Place the wine opener to the side and grab a cloth napkin. Once the bottle is open, you should tilt the bottle to pour wine slowly into the wine glass. You can pour the wine into the center of the glass or pour it against the side if you want to aerate it slightly.

Once you’ve poured the correct wine, you’re ready to stop pouring. To prevent a spill, quickly tilt the bottle upwards with a slight twist of your wrist. Continue tilting the bottle of wine upright as you use the cloth napkin to wipe the lip of the bottle.

Pouring a glass of wine without spills or overfills takes a bit of practice, but the process becomes significantly simpler once you know where to start. You should always use the proper wine glass and fill it to the appropriate level to ensure that it comes naturally to you later on.

Lastly, it’s important to note that you should generally take a detour when pouring red wine. Specifically, it’s recommended to pour red wine into a decanter and allow it to sit for between 30 and 45 minutes before serving. This process will remove acrid notes from young red wines and improve the flavor.

Conclusion

Holding glassware properly is one of the essential components of wine etiquette. Unfortunately, learning all the finer details of glass etiquette can often seem intimidating. Using this guide, you’ll be one step further toward knowing proper wine-serving etiquette.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why is it important to hold wine glasses correctly?

  • Holding wine glasses properly helps maintain the temperature of the wine. It prevents heat from your hand from warming the glass, which can affect the wine’s flavor and aroma, especially for white and sparkling wines.

• How should I hold a wine glass?

  • The best way to hold a wine glass is by the stem, using your thumb and first two fingers. This grip minimizes contact with the bowl, helping to keep the wine at its ideal temperature.

• What should I avoid when holding a wine glass?

  • Avoid holding the wine glass by the bowl. This can transfer heat from your hand to the wine, potentially altering its taste. Additionally, avoid gripping it too tightly, which may cause spills or accidents.

• Is there a specific technique for serving wine?

  • When serving wine, pour gently into the glass, filling it to about one-third full. This allows enough space for the wine to aerate and enhances the aroma. Always hold the glass by the stem when pouring to maintain proper handling.

• Should the type of wine glass influence how I hold it?

  • While the basic principle of holding by the stem applies to most wine glasses, larger glasses (like those for red wine) may have a more substantial bowl. Always hold them by the stem to maintain control and prevent spills.

• How does the glass shape affect wine enjoyment?

  • The shape of the glass can influence how the wine interacts with air and how aromas are directed toward the nose. Holding the glass correctly enhances the overall experience by allowing the wine to be fully appreciated through taste and aroma.