Which wine glass?

What wine glass should I use when enjoying fortified wines?

There are as many different styles of glassware as wine styles these days, but which glass is best to use for fortified wines? There are many options but most likely you will have a suitable glass tucked away somewhere in your cupboard… possible next to an old fortified wine forgotten! Get both out and give them a try, you may be surprised!

Fortified wines deserve a large glass that allows you to swirl and smell the wine. These wines have amazing aromas and depths of

flavour so allowing the wine to concentrate these flavours in the glass will only add to your enjoyment of the wine. We recommend a good sized wine glass with a rounded body and slightly tapered sides towards the top. This will allow for swirling will minimal chance of spill and more importantly get your nose in for a good sniff to experience all the wine has to offer. Using a larger sized glass also allows you a generous sized pour you can sit down, relax and enjoy your wine. Don’t feel tempted to fill it to the top though, a good splash you can swirl about is all you need.

(Image above of a Riedel Port/Sherry Glass, courtesy of Riedel Australia)

For entertainment at a dinner party you may wish to consider port sippers. These little hand-blown glasses look similar to a headless cat with a round body and a tail running the side. There is some merit to these in that while holding the glass you hands warm up the wine and helping release more flavour. They also make a loud slurping sound as you sip your glass entertaining your guests and signifying the bottle/decanter may need to be returned in that direction for a refill.