Perform the following test and see for yourself: Take an ESPIRITU DE ARGENTINA wine, pour it into three different wine glasses and then taste the wine from the different glasses.  The effect is startling: You will notice the significant influence of the type of glass on your taste experience. 

Some wine experts maintain that each grape varietal should be enjoyed in a distinctly different glass specifically designed for that varietal, but hardly any wine connoisseur has sufficient space at home to accommodate sets of glasses for each and every varietal. Therefore, it makes sense to distinguish between different types of wine and to use differently shaped glasses for these.

 

Prerequisites for Wine Glasses

• The ideal wine glass should have clear rather than coloured glass, providing for an unimpeded glance at and inspection of the wine and ensuring an appreciation of the wine�s colour and brilliance. An optimal wine glass therefore does not bear any frosting or lavish engravings.  
• The glass itself should be delicately thin: This enhances the drinking enjoyment as the wine�s temperature is better preserved in thin glass.  Thick glass tends to quickly absorb the outside temperature and thus affects the wine.  
• The stem of the glass should be long enough to allow for easily grasping and holding the glass in your hand.  A long stem prevents the wine from being warmed by your hand, which happens if you hold the glass by the bowl.  Moreover, holding the glass by the bowl results in unappealing fingerprints that distort the visual appeal.  
• An empty wine glass may carry unwanted odours.  Strongly perfumed dishwashing detergents or a hint of cupboard odours interfere with wine aromas and should be prevented or eliminated.  When in doubt, it is recommended to rinse the glass with a sip of wine prior to using it.   

   

	The Optimal White Wine Glass White wine is best enjoyed in smaller glasses, since white wine is consumed at lower temperatures (8-10�C) than red wine. A good white wine glass is apple-shaped, narrowing slightly at the top. Such a glass allows the wine to unfold and capture its bouquet, making it thus easier for the nose to delight in the bouquet.  Moreover, the smaller glass offers the additional advantage that it holds less wine, which means that one empties the glass more quickly, preventing the chilled wine from becoming warm.

	The Optimal Red Wine Glass Red wine requires ample air to release its complex and multi-layered aromas (with the exception of very young or very old, rustic red wines).  Red wine glasses, especially for full-bodied red wines, are therefore bigger than white wine glasses with a rounder, wider bowl and a wider opening. The rich red wine aromas accumulate and develop better in these glasses, and the broad bowl directs the wine to the entire mouth.

A Final Small Hint:
Regardless which wine or which type of glass you select, you should always adhere to one rule: Never fill the entire glass--pour the wine only to the broadest part of the bowl.  It is only then that you can indulge in the pure enjoyment of swirling, sniffing and tasting a wine.