Why Do We Fill Wine Glasses Only Halfway?

Wine tastes good enough to be enjoyed from any vessel, even sipped straight from the bottle with a straw. But wine is almost always served in specialized wine glasses that feature a deep bowl atop an elongated stem. Why?

Because doing so makes them more pleasing to your nose. Just as darkened theaters are flattering to movies by focusing our visual attention on the bright screen, stemmed glasses with large bowls are flattering to wines by focusing our attention on their aromatics.

Formerly the director of wine studies for Manhattanā€™s French Culinary Institute, Marnie Old is best known for her books published by DK ā€“ the award-winningĀ Wine: A Tasting Course andĀ He Said Beer, She Said Wine. Read her pieceĀ How to Judge Wine By its Color.

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Feature photo by Kelsey Knight on Unsplash.

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