How to Hold a Wine Glass Like a Pro: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ever wondered how to hold a wine glass properly? And, does it matter how you hold it?

Holding your glass like a seasoned wine connoisseur is easier than you think, and it could undoubtedly elevate your wine drinking experience!

We’ll walk you through the right way to hold a wine glass (and why), and a few cool tips to remember next time you’re sipping wine at a party.

Why You Need to Hold Your Wine Glass Properly 

The traditional wine glass has a base, a bowl, and a thin glass stem that connects the two. And, the best way to hold your wine glass is by the stem.

Why? 

The main reason why you should hold your wine glass by the stem is that it can improve your wine drinking experience. 

Here’s how:

• It preserves the wine’s temperature: All wines are served below room temperature (anywhere between 4-18°C.) If you cup the bowl of the stemmed wine glass, your body heat will increase the temperature of the wine faster. This could lead to negative changes in the wine’s flavor. 

Holding the glass by the stem will allow maintaining a proper temperature for longer, so you could fully enjoy the gentle unraveling of the wine’s aroma and taste!

• You avoid leaving fingerprints: Holding your stemmed glass by the bowl might result in greasy fingerprints on the stemware. This will prevent you from seeing the color of the wine clearly. 

By holding the stem of the glass, you’ll be able to observe the different hues of the wine, which is an important part of tasting wine.

• It lets you swirl without spilling: Swirling is another essential step in wine tasting. It will help your wine to reveal its full flavor profile faster. 

If you rest your glass on a surface, hold the glass stem, and then swirl it, there’s almost no chance of you spilling the liquid. However, if you do it the wrong way and hold the bowl itself, the wine might easily end up on your clothes or your guests’!

However, it’s fine to hold your stemmed glass by the bowl if your wine is too cold. You can cup the bowl with both your hands to bring the wine to the right temperature.So, how exactly should you hold a stemmed wine glass?

How to Hold a Wine Glass with a Stem

There’s no one proper way to hold your glass of wine by the stem.  Here are a few correct ways you can choose from:

• Pinch the lower part of the stem: The stem should be between your thumb and index finger. You can also hold with three fingers - thumb, forefinger, and middle finger for more stability. Your ring finger and pinky finger should rest on top of the base without touching the stem. 

This method is the most convenient if you want to swirl your wine. 

• Grab the glassware stem right above the base:  Pinch the stem with your thumb and pointer finger slightly above the base. This way, they’re in direct contact with the glass base while your other fingers are supporting it from the bottom. 

This is a very stable way to hold your glass, especially if you feel nervous holding only the stem.

• Hold the stem just below the bowl: Doing so allows you to hold the upper part of the stem without touching the bowl of the glass. Simply pinch the stem between your thumb and pointer finger. Your hand should be slightly curled and face the base of the glass without touching it. 

This way of holding your glass is fairly stable. It will let you control how much and in which direction you tilt your glass. It’s the best way to hold your glass if there’s no table nearby to rest it.

• Hold the glass by the base: Your thumb should be holding the top of the base while your forefinger and middle finger support it from the bottom. All other fingers are curled in your palm for more stability. 

This method might be intimidating for beginners, but it’s a great way to observe the different color hues of the wine in your glass.

What if you have stemless glasses?

How to Hold a Stemless Wine Glass

If you’re using stemless glassware, avoid holding the top or the middle of the bowl. 

Instead, aim for the bottom part and use only your thumb, index finger, and middle finger. 

However, if it feels unstable, you can curl your ring and pinky fingers underneath your middle finger for extra support. 

With stemless glassware, it’s impossible to avoid touching the bowl. That’s why it’s much harder to maintain the proper temperature of your drink in a stemless glass than in a traditional stemware wine glass.

To avoid transferring your body heat to the wine, try to hold your glass as little as possible. Take the stemless glass only when you’re about to drink your wine so you can preserve the right temperature for longer. Meanwhile, you can find a table or some other surface where you can rest your glass.

Now that you know how to hold your wine glass the right way,  let’s see what other etiquettes you should know of before your next classy wine gala.

Other Wine Etiquette Tips To Remember

Here are some useful tips:

1. Never Fill up Your Wine Glass to the Top

Have you ever wondered why they never fill your wine glass to the top at the bar?  Here are the standard pour sizes for the different wine types:

• ⅓ of the glass for red wine like Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon
• Half a glass for white wine like Sauvignon Blanc and some white dessert wine styles
• ¾ of the glass for sparkling wine like Champagne

Why?

Filling your wine glass only partially allows some breathing space for the wine and lets you detect the wine's aroma and tasting notes. That’s especially helpful if you don’t have a decanter to aerate the wine before serving it to your wine enthusiast friends. 

Also, different wine types are best poured into different wine glasses: 

• A red wine glass would be wider since red wine needs a bigger surface to open its aroma. 
• A white wine glass is similar to a red wine glass, with the only difference that the bowl is smaller and a bit narrower.
• Champagne flute glasses are usually tall and narrow. This way, the Champagne glass can preserve the effervescence of the sparkling wine for longer.

Additionally, if you’re one of those wine drinkers who like their wine glass filled to the top, you will have a hard time swirling it without spilling.

2. Rest Your Glass

You don’t have to hold your glass throughout the whole event. If your hand gets tired, you can rest the wineglass somewhere near you. If you’re seated at a table, you should place the wineglass on the top left corner of your setting (right by your water glass.) 

If there’s no suitable place to rest your stemmed wine glass, simply put the base on the palm of your hand while holding the stem with the other one.

3. Sip From One Spot

Sipping from different spots can make your wine glass appear dirty and might leave lipstick or food smudges. This might also negatively affect the wine’s flavor and aroma. So, pick one spot on the glass rim from which to sip on your vino. This will keep your glass as clean as possible.

4. Examine the Wine Color

Before tasting your wine for the first time, observe its color. You can examine the color depth by viewing the wine in your glass from the top or the side. 

To observe the different hues, you can slightly tilt the glass to see how the color changes. Place the glass against a light source or white background for better visibility.

5. Swirl Before You Drink

Swirling your wine accelerates the oxidation and evaporation processes in your wine glass (similar to decanting in a wine decanter.) This way, the wine’s flavor and aroma improve. 

However, if you’re worried you might spill, just place the wine glass on a flat surface, hold the stem, and swirl in small and gentle circular movements. Do that for no more than 10-15 seconds. 

6. Look Down When You Sip From Your Wine

When you’re taking a sip of wine, look down the glass. This will ensure you don’t spill any of the liquid on your clothes. However, it is considered good etiquette to make eye contact with others when you make a toast. 

And now you know how to hold your wine glass like a professional wine connoisseur. If you’re trying for the first time, you might want to experiment with some more affordable wines. 

But if you’re organizing a classy wine tasting event or any big bash, you might want to prepare with some exquisite fine wines!

But where do you find authentic collectible bottles?

After all, getting a coveted bottle of wine is not that easy - your local wine shop might not have what you want while buying online imposes the risk of getting a counterfeit bottle. 

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Sip on Some of the Most Elegant Wines in The World

Holding your wine glass elegantly might seem intimidating at first, but with some practice, you can become a pro in no time. 

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