The type of wine glass that you serve your wine in can have a dramatic impact on the flavor and quality of the wine. There are many factors associated with wine glasses that may add or subtract from the wine’s flavor, appearance and quality. There are also some glassware basics that should be considered when choosing glasses.

For a home wine-connoisseur, you may need to take your wine glass selection very seriously. For those individuals that enjoy a variety of different types of wine, you may opt for an all-purpose wine glass. These are tulip shaped and hold approximately 8 to 12 ounces and are appropriate for most types of wine. There are, however, specific types of glasses that you may be interested in purchasing if you enjoy a particular type of wine on a regular basis. You do not necessarily need a special glass for each type of wine, but if you routinely enjoy a particular wine and you have the storage and budget, then you may be interested.

So what are the differences in white and red wine glasses? There are several differences and each affect the bouquet of the wine as well as help to maintain the appropriate temperature of the wine. And of course, white wines are best served out of glasses designed for white wines and red wines are best served out of glasses designed for red wines.

The white wine glass has a narrow mouth, which allows the wine to maintain its chilled temperature. The reduced surface area of the glass does not allow air to permeate the wine as much as it does in a wide mouthed red wine glass. The reduced amount of air means that the air will not warm the wine. The smaller bowl of the glass also means that there is less contact by the heat of the hand, which can also warm the wine.

Chardonnay glasses feature a narrow rim of glass that helps to direct the wine to the middle of the palate. This applies the fruit flavors and acidity. The longer bowl of the glass keeps the wine chilled and captures the aromas of the wine. This type of glass works well for Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis, White Bordeaux and Burgundies, White Pinots and Viognier.

Sangiovese and Riesling glass feature a smaller bowl and even narrower rim. The smaller bowl is due to the fact that these wines are usually consumed in smaller quantities as dessert wines. The smaller and elongated bowl also allows the wine to stay chilled while you are enjoying your dessert. These glasses are also great for wines that are sweet and may be drunk in smaller amounts. This type of glass is also appropriate for Bardolino, Chianti, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano and Zinfandel. If you frequently enjoy white wines, you may enjoy an all-purpose glass that is designed for different white wines.

Red wine glasses are usually noted as having a large bowl and wide mouth. These glasses are similar to the Bordeaux and Burgundy wine glass. The Bordeaux wine glass is designed specifically for these red wines. They have a large and round bowl, which allows the wine to breathe, which brings out the different aromas that the wine has to offer. Allowing the red wine to sit in the glass will have a similar effect that decanting has on a wine. These glasses are tall and shoot the wine straight to the back of your mouth where most red wines will react with the back of the palate.

The Burgundy glass is also a good wine glass that is appropriate for reds and full-bodied wines. They have an even larger bowl than the Bordeaux glass and focuses the wine to be absorbed at the tip of your tongue. This allows the drinker to enjoy the sweetness of this wine. This glass is also appropriate for your Pinot Noir wines and is best for gathering the delicate bouquet of your red wine.

Red wine glasses also allow you to drink your red wines at room temperature. The larger bowl is designed to allow the wine to cool after it is exposed to the heat of your hand. If you enjoy red wine on a regular basis, you may be interested in buying a set of these glasses.

When purchasing wine glasses, you will want to look for clean and clear glasses. This will allow you to examine the wine and check its clarity and color. A clean glass is absolutely necessary for enjoying wines and after washing you will want to remove any soap residue that is left on the glass. Thin glasses are also the best, as a rolled rim will cause the wine to dribble into your mouth while a thin glass presents less obstruction between you and the wine. Stems are also necessary, as you do not want to hold the bowl of the glass. The glass should also have a tapered rim, which will keep the wine from spilling when you swirl. It will also help to capture the aroma of the wine.

We went on an interesting excursion out of San Francisco: an ecologically friendly bio-diesel powered van from Incredible Adventures whisked us off to the outlying areas north of San Francisco. After our first stop at Muir Woods to admire the giant redwoods we embarked on our tour to wine country. Through the rain we drove north into the Sonoma Valley, one of the two world-famous wine-making areas north of San Francisco. The other, even more famous wine-making area, is the adjacent Napa Valley.

The Sonoma Valley is actually the birthplace of the Californian wine industry and encompasses 13,000 acres of parkland. Before lunch we stopped at two wineries, Roche and Homewood Wineries, where we got to taste a whole variety of red and white wines and even some local olives and olive oils. For lunch we stopped off on the main square of Sonoma where my friend and I grabbed a tasty lunch at the Basque Café.

After lunch we headed into the Castle Winery just off Sonoma’s main square that surprised us with a sweet sherry and a delicious sherry chocolate sauce. Our last stop on this excursion were the Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards which produce world-class award-winning sparkling wines as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Ferrer family’s involvement with sparkling wine goes back several centuries in Catalonia, Spain, and their most famous product is Freixenet, a world famous sparkling wine made according to the méthode champenoise.

Properly educated about wine and definitely in a much lighter mood after all these tastings, we started heading back to the city. The atmosphere in the van was downright giggly. Michelle stopped at a lookout point overlooking the northern terminus of the bridge which provided us with an excellent view, despite the cold winds and the grey and rainy skies.

At the end of our excursion, we got conveniently dropped off on the doorsteps of our hotel, the Queen Anne, and after recovering for a bit, we took the 22 bus and went for a nice dinner to Tangerine SF, a beautiful restaurant that features Pan Asian cuisine, located in the SoMa district of San Francisco. After a great filling dinner and a long conversation with the owners Steve and Sean we walked all the way back to our hotel on Fillmore Street, a pleasant 45 minute walk through beautiful Victorian neighbourhoods.

On February 24, 2008 these wine lovers went on an interesting excursion out of San Francisco: an ecologically friendly bio-diesel powered van from Incredible Adventures whisked them off to the outlying areas north of San Francisco. After a first stop at Muir Woods to admire the giant redwoods they embarked on a tour to wine country. Through the rain they drove north into the Sonoma Valley, one of the two world-famous wine-making areas north of San Francisco. The other, even more famous wine-making area, is the adjacent Napa Valley.

The Sonoma Valley is actually the birthplace of the Californian wine industry and encompasses 13,000 acres of parkland. Before lunch they stopped at two wineries, Roche and Homewood Wineries, where they got to taste a whole variety of red and white wines and even some local olives and olive oils. For lunch they stopped off on the main square of Sonoma for a tasty lunch at the Basque Café.

After lunch the travelers headed into the Castle Winery just off Sonoma’s main square. The last stop on this excursion were the Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards which produce world-class award-winning sparkling wines as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Ferrer family’s involvement with sparkling wine goes back several centuries in Catalonia, Spain, and their most famous product is Freixenet, a world famous sparkling wine made according to the méthode champenoise.

Properly educated about wine and definitely in a much lighter mood after all these tastings, the group started heading back to the city.

At the end of the excursion, the adventurers got conveniently dropped off on the doorsteps of their hotel, the Queen Anne, and after recovering for a bit, then took the 22 bus and went for a nice dinner to Tangerine SF, a beautiful restaurant that features Pan Asian cuisine, located in the SoMa district of San Francisco. After a great filling dinner and a long conversation with the owners Steve and Sean, they walked all the way back to their hotel on Fillmore Street, a pleasant 45 minute walk through beautiful Victorian neighborhoods.

If your spouse likes white wines, then she should enjoy a good Reisling. Keep in mind that Reislings run the taste gamut from semi-sweet to dry, so this will influence what you buy.  One of the great things about Reislings is that they have a crisp finish that goes well with almost all kinds of food.   For specific brands and vintages, we recommend searching for a Fox Run Reisling or a Hazlitts Reserve Reisling, 2004 or 2005 vintage.

For a red wine, try a Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley. It will run you between $15 and $18 for a bottle. Actually, there are many good Pinot Noirs on the market these days. I’m assuming that you intend to order wine with dinner in a restaurant. If this is the case, then you’ll want to peruse the wine list and ask for recommendations from your waitperson.  Pinot noir pairs well with a wider range of foods than many other reds.  Morever, a really good pinot noir is incredibly sexy tasting, to put it plainly.