A glass for every occasion

Setting the table well is not just an art, but also a gesture of respect towards our guests. Both at home and in the restaurant glasses are often a complication that is easy to solve. Meanwhile, the glasses on the table must always be at least two: one for water and one for wine (or beer). If the menu provides for the combination of more wines to the various courses then the glasses should also be the ones most suitable for tasting the different wines. However on the table more than three glasses cannot be placed, up to four if sparkling wine is also provided.

Shapes and sizes vary according to use, without too binding rules, among the many types of glass to use, here are some tips:

Beer

The choice is not easy, it depends on the amount of beer to drink and its body. The most used glasses range from the classic pint to the mug but can also have different shapes and simple cylinder or tulip.

Water

The only glass that has taken a little more freedom is water, which can vary in shape, gender and color. Tumblers, that is without stems, and therefore being lower, will be placed in front of all the others.

Wine tasting glass

Distillates, wines, liqueurs … all the tastings are enhanced by the goblet shape, which allows you to fully enjoy the organoleptic characteristics of the drinks.

Young and fresh white or rosé wines do not require glasses that are too large or with a very open mouth to better capture the classic aromas of white wines. A tulip-shaped glass with its particular flare is perfect.

Young red wines can also be tasted in a glass called Renano, with a large belly to enhance the nose aromas.

Aging red wines, characterized by complex aromas, require more “bulging” glasses, such as ballon or Burgundy, to allow oxygenation and perfume development.

Dry sparkling wines (and champagne) require a flûte, a narrower and more closed glass, to allow the development of perlage (the bubbles), and allow a gradual dispersion of their delicate perfumes.

Sweet sparkling wines prefer cup-shaped glasses, to quickly spread their aroma.

For sweet and raisin wines, the glass becomes smaller, called small tulip, also due to the smaller quantity of wine it must contain and the shape is slightly rounded, this is because the aromas concentrate on the nose and the sensation of cloying both attenuated.

Flute

Classic champagne glass, it is also used to serve sparkling drinks based on sparkling wine and fresh fruit (Bellini, Mimosa, Bellini, etc.). Its shape enhances the wines, prevents bubbles from being dispersed and the drink warms up through the hands, kept away from the long stem: cocktail glasses with an elegant and functional design.