Does the Wine Glass Really Make a Difference?

Here's a philosophical question for you: Does a rosé out of any other glass still taste as sweet? We all know that there are as many different kinds of wine glasses as there are wine varietals. But how much does the wine glass actually affect how the wine tastes? 

Scientific answer: Quite a lot.

Wine Mouth answer: Eh, it depends. 

Leading wine experts say that the glass we drink out of is as important - or even more important than - the wine we drink. But when you go a tasting room, more often than not you're sampling everything from the white, red, and sweet dessert wines from the same glass. And in our darkest moments of desperation, we've all been known to guzzle wine out of a plastic cup (see below). So what gives?

If paired correctly, the shape of the wine glass can really bring a wine to life. A full-bodied red in a large burgundy glass is heaven on earth, but if you put that in a same wine in a narrow glass, it won't have a chance to develop its nose, or aroma. In contrast, a narrow white wine glass will help collect the fruity, floral aroma of a Sauvignon Blanc and take it to the next level.  

That being said, some of the best wine I've had was sipped out of a to-go coffee cup on a beach in California, and sometimes the occasion calls for forgoing the glass altogether and just drinking straight out of the bottle. It's all up to your personal preference! If you wanna be fancy and stock up on different kinds of wine glasses, go for it. If you wanna indiscriminately guzzle all your wine from stemless glasses, who are we to judge?  

We do have one final caveat: If at all possible, sparkling wines should be enjoyed from a thin, dainty sparkling wine glass. How else will you be able to appreciate all of those bubbles, you fancy wine-drinker, you.