Flutes are absolutely the best glass for sparkling wine because it retains temp and maximum carbonation. I call it sparkling wine instead of Champagne because there are way more sparkling wines in this world than there are Champagne bottles, which is only so designated because of the Champagne region of France.
Why flutes? The vast majority of sparkling wine is Brut, like Dom Perignon or Cristal. Brut is also what most people tend to buy. Bruts tend to be extra extra dry white wines. Being so dry, the nose is of limited importance. It doesn’t matter if it’s sparkling or not, you don’t drink extra dry white wine for a bountiful nose.
The only sparkling wines where nose becomes of importance are the sweeter more fragrant whites, like Blanc d’Noir or Prosecco or Asti Spumanti.
In fact, allowing a sparkling wine to breathe is the enemy of it. Wines only breathe the longer they sit open. Airing out a sparkling wine causes it to go flat, the opposite of what you want out of a sparkling wine.
If you want to savor the nose and mouthfeel of any wine AND let it breath, you don’t buy a sparkling wine. Sparkling wines are almost always intended for special occasions, not for savoring, swirling or its nose. Yes, you will get some nose drinking sparkling wine, but you have to get it from tasting it, not by swirling. And yes, contrary to popular opinion, you can swirl in a flute… but don’t swirl sparkling wines.
8 Comments
I need some new glasses!
A beer glass 🍻
From the bottle 🗿
I think I’m in love
And here all these years I'd been advised to use flutes for champagne, this is truly a revelation!!! Merci!!!
Where is she from? I lived in France for a couple years and am just curious.
Flutes are absolutely the best glass for sparkling wine because it retains temp and maximum carbonation. I call it sparkling wine instead of Champagne because there are way more sparkling wines in this world than there are Champagne bottles, which is only so designated because of the Champagne region of France.
Why flutes? The vast majority of sparkling wine is Brut, like Dom Perignon or Cristal. Brut is also what most people tend to buy. Bruts tend to be extra extra dry white wines. Being so dry, the nose is of limited importance. It doesn’t matter if it’s sparkling or not, you don’t drink extra dry white wine for a bountiful nose.
The only sparkling wines where nose becomes of importance are the sweeter more fragrant whites, like Blanc d’Noir or Prosecco or Asti Spumanti.
In fact, allowing a sparkling wine to breathe is the enemy of it. Wines only breathe the longer they sit open. Airing out a sparkling wine causes it to go flat, the opposite of what you want out of a sparkling wine.
If you want to savor the nose and mouthfeel of any wine AND let it breath, you don’t buy a sparkling wine. Sparkling wines are almost always intended for special occasions, not for savoring, swirling or its nose. Yes, you will get some nose drinking sparkling wine, but you have to get it from tasting it, not by swirling. And yes, contrary to popular opinion, you can swirl in a flute… but don’t swirl sparkling wines.
Perfect information on a Friday afternoon! 🥂