The question of how to hold a wine glass is not as uncommon as you may think. In fact, most wine drinkers forget they once wondered about the very same question because eventually, once mastered, the practice of correctly holding a wine glass becomes second nature.

The answer to this question is that there’s definitely a bad way and a good way to hold a wine glass. And the good way has nothing to do with looking like a wine connoisseur. Some people might actually hold a wine glass but not even understand why it’s held in a particular way. They copied others and just do it like that.

The First Rule About Wine

The first thing to remember about wine is that once the wine is yours – you’ve bought a bottle or been gifted it – there are no right or wrong ways to do anything. This seems to be contrary to that advice of a good and bad way to hold a wine glass, but it’s not. 

The truth is that wine is all about maximum enjoyment. First and foremost, you should enjoy wine the way you enjoy it most and enjoy the experiences that come with it. If that means drinking it out of a mug and describing the smell as reminiscent of old socks, that’s your prerogative. 

However, if you’re trying to understand what differentiates, for example, the Bonnievale The River Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2022 from the Bonnievale The River Collection Chardonnay 2022, then you want to be sure to treat them as well as the wines were treated in their making. As Bonnievale winemaker Marthinus Rademeyer says, the journey wine takes to a wine glass involves many people but also is a snapshot of elements that determine the final character of a wine, such as vineyards, a growing season and a location. 

That’s why people refer to wine as a story. It changes with every vintage because the growing of wine grapes is a natural process. Wine is not a drink made in a factory – even if it comes in a can or a box! There are many versions to explore and many stories to delve into.

Why Does How Holding A Wine Glass Matter?

Now we get to the meat of things. When it comes to wine, a receptacle like a wine glass is not just something that holds the wet stuff. Amongst other uses, it’s a tool for assessment because you can see the colour. Not all wines have the same colour, with every white differing from another and the same with reds.

To hold a wine glass, keep in mind that wine glasses are generally dainty and thin, which makes them elegant but very poor insulators. Without exception, wine is served at a lower temperature than the mean body temperature, which means that if you’re not careful and hold the glass around the bowl, your hands will warm the wine and change its character. The best way to prevent this from happening – the right way to hold a wine glass – is to clasp its stem or base between thumb and forefinger.

This is also the reason that wine glasses were originally developed with a stem in the first place. The contemporary trend of stemless glassware means that you should only handle the glass to take the occasional sip. 

So, next time someone wonders about how to hold a wine glass, you can show them.