Wine glasses

There are many variations, sizes and kinds of shapes for a wine glass, depending on different grapes and the different kinds of wines. The ones with broader openings are for red wines and the narrower ones are for white wines. A wine glass however, is all about the stem as it controls the temperature of your wine.

Avoid holding this glass by the belly with your palms or you will transfer heat and warm the wine. This glass is meant to be held at the stem.

Tumbler glass

These glasses are best used for table wines that are already temperature controlled. And because it is served at a table, the wine spends more time sitting on the table than in your hand so temperature control isn’t an issue. Technically, any glass with a flat bottom and wide opening qualifies as a tumbler glass.

Martini glass

Another addition to stemware, this glass has function to the form as it suits all your ‘up’ drinks (an already chilled drink). Plus you always serve everything up in this glass and it stays infused together at the bottom (read: Olives) but there can’t be any ice. These glasses have wide surface areas so you can smell the drink, which is the prime element of flavour for Gin.

Flute glass

These are the Champagne or sparkling wine glasses. This glass is all about making the bubbles last as long as possible with its bead etched bottom. Again it is meant to be held by the stem.

Rock or old fashioned glass

A drink on the rocks or a cocktail, the glass can accommodate large cubes of ice and still leaves plenty of room for the ice cubes to stir around within the glass. It's also comes with a wide opening surface so you can revel in the aroma of your cocktail.

Collins glass

Use this glass for fizzy drinks like the mojitos. Add a little soda water to the drink and the glass can retain the fizz for longer. Similar to the flute, you can do cocktails in this one too. This is the kind of glass from which you might want to drink with the straw since the alcohol settles at the bottom.

Beer glass

Lager glasses – Robust beers are best served in large lager glasses. Pint glasses, which are tapered like tumblers will work too.

Wheat beer glass – Wheat beer glasses are tall and slender, somewhat an off spring of a lager glass and a Pilsner glass. The shape of the glass makes way for the foam and accentuates the aromas.

Pilsner glass – Pilsner beers are meant to be served in tall, tapered glasses. The shape of the glass again brings out the textures of beer.

Stemmed beer glass – Some beers actually get enhanced when served in stemmed glasses, like brandy snifters or tulip glasses. The shape allows you to relish the flavours better.

Image credit for beer glasses - craftbeerware.com