Wine glasses: from theory to application

Wine glasses are a must for every wine tasting. They magnify the wine, reveal its aromas and are available in all shapes and sizes. In this article, we will introduce you to this essential element in the world of wine.

The Short History of the Wine Glass

The wine glasses as we know them today did not appear until the beginning of the 14th century. At the time, they were a reflection of the Venetian know-how of the island of Murano, which exported them all over Europe.

After that, during the 18th century in France, people sometimes tasted several wines during the same meal. This is how in the 19th century glassware services became popular. Each glass then had its own use. Moreover, at that time the glass became more democratic and was no longer reserved exclusively for the bourgeoisie, its use became more common. handmade wine glasses

Furthermore, in the 20th century, Claus Riedel was the first to acknowledge a correlation between the shape of the wine glass and its influence on tasting. He then completely changed the style of wine glasses to blown, uncoloured and very thin glasses. After that, he launched the « Sommeliers » collection, the first series of glasses based on the style and character of each wine. In other words, this marks a turning point in glassware dedicated to wine. Nowadays, Riedel is still one of the world’s leading glass brands.

In the 1970s, the INAO wine glass became the reference glass for professional wine tastings. It is defined by a set of specifications from the French Association for Normalization (AFNOR) and receives its certification in 1971.