Which Wine Glass to Use?

Flute glasses are used for sparkling wine

Recently, I was discussing my upcoming dinner party menu with a friend, and she made a note that white wine wouldn't match the selected dish too well. I responded very know-it-all-like saying that I was planning on serving Merlot. And she responded, very know-it-all-like, "But you don't have red wine glasses." Oh. There's a difference?

Apparently there is. For each type of wine, there's a special type of glass.

For sparkling wine, you'd use a flute, the long-stemmed slender glass. The straight design helps keep the bubbles in the glass longer.

Sherry glasses are used for brandy and port wines

For aromatic drinks such as brandy and port wines, a Sherry glass is used. The glass narrows to promote the fragrance.  

Burgundy and Bordeaux wine glasses are used for red wine

Now, with red wines there are two types of glasses, Burgundy and Bordeaux. Both have the wider, rounder top which allows more oxygen to get in, increasing the oxidation rate which smooths out the flavor.

Burgundy glasses are used for delicate reds, such as Pinot Noir. They are more curved at the top to direct the wine to the tip of the tongue.

Bordeaux glasses are designed for full-bodied wines, such as Cabernets and Merlots. They are tall with a broader bowl, directing the wine to the back of the mouth.

White wine glasses are very similar to red wine glasses

White wine glasses are the most common type of wine glass. Like reds, whites taste better after a little bit of oxidation, though they don't need as much as red wines, so the tops often aren't as wide.

Honestly, I'll probably just end up pouring the red into the white wine glass. I can't justify going out and buying a whole new set of glasses just so the wine can oxidize more! But this is good to know in case I'm really needing to impress someone!

Do you use the "correct" type of glass when you drink wine at home?