The right way to pour a glass of Red Wine Articles | Benefits of Wine

By: Michael Kirby

With wine becoming a part of more households everyday it is only right that you learn the proper way to pour a glass of wine. The first thing to remember is that wine was designed to be savored and enjoyed slowly. It was meant to be presented in a special way that creates an appetizing or romantic mood.

Learning how to pour a glass of wine involves everything from learning the proper way to open the wine bottle to using the proper glassware. Start by choosing the right wine opener. Now you may think that the wine opener you use is a very insignificant thing but it is actually quite important. You need to feel comfortable with the wine opener you use so choose one that you really like and that is easy for you to use.

When you begin looking into the different types of wine openers you will find that there are many different ones available. You have the most common types like the bartenders use. Then there is the corkscrew puller. This one is designed with two very thin pieces of metal that will slide down between the cork and the inside of the bottle. Once it is in place, you pull up and the cork is removed. There is even a method that uses a needle to pump air into the bottle and push out the cork.

After choosing the wine opener that you want to use the next step is to choose the perfect glassware. Wine is too special to pour into just any old glass. You should only pour wine into stemmed glassware made of crystal or at the very least glass. The stem is used so that the heat from your hands will not heat up the wine. The correct size for a wine glass will hold between eight to ten ounces and it should be clear and thin for the best results.

Wine is best served when it has been allowed to breathe for awhile after it has been opened. Unlike other beverages wine is suppose to be poured directly into the middle of the wine glass and you should only pour the glass about three fourths full. This is one of the purposes of having a glass that holds at least eight ounces. You will still have room for the full aroma of the wine to be enjoyed and you have room for the swirl. The only exception to pouring the wine straight into the glass is when you are using sparkling wine. This type can be poured with the glass turned sideways.

The shape of the glass is also important as certain shapes enhance the flavor of the wine. Of course, all of them should be the stemmed glassware but the top of the glasses are designed differently. When serving red wine, use the tulip shaped glass. White wine should be served in wine glasses that are narrower at the top and sparkling wines are best served in the Flute type glass style.