Bars & Breweries

How to Hold a Wine Glass

Last updated on Nov 28, 2022
Corrinn McCauley

Part of offering a proper wine service at your bar or restaurant is knowing how to hold a wine glass. Holding a wine glass correctly makes you appear professional and helps you serve wine at the right temperature. Whether you're supplying or enjoying the wine, we explain how to hold different types of wine glasses so you can participate in holiday wine pairings without social anxiety. Once you’ve mastered the proper way to hold a wine glass, check out our wine-drinking tips so you can swirl wine like a pro and flawlessly clink wine glasses after a toast.

Shop All Wine Glasses
Click below to learn how to hold wine glasses and participate in a wine tasting:

Proper Way to Hold a Wine Glass

Woman in a vineyard during sunset holds a wine glass by its stem to take a sip

The proper way to hold a wine glass is by its stem. This protects the temperature of the wine. Holding a wine glass by its bowl warms its contents.

Wine Glass Parts

Familiarize yourself with the parts of a wine glass so you can follow our guide to holding a wine glass.

  • Rim - perimeter of the bowl where your lips contact the glass
  • Bowl - contains the wine, sizes vary
  • Stem - long, thin piece linking the base to the bowl
  • Base - flat, circular piece at the bottom of the stem that provides stability

How to Hold a Stemmed Wine Glass

There are 3 proper ways to hold a stemmed wine glass:

  1. Pinch the stem between your thumb and index finger where it meets the base. Rest the bottom of the base on your folded middle finger.
  2. Use your thumb as a lever and anchor the base to your folded index finger.
  3. Pinch the stem of the glass between your thumb and index. Let your other fingers rest naturally. To hold a wine glass elegantly, follow the previous steps and then stick out your pinky finger.

How to Hold a Stemless Wine Glass

Hold a stemless wine glass towards the base of its bowl. To minimize heat transfer, use only your thumb, index, and middle fingers to grip the glass. If the glass feels like it may slip, curl your ring and pinky fingers beneath your middle finger to provide stability. Stemless wine glasses offer greater stability than stemmed wine glasses, preventing spills and breakage at cocktail parties and catered events. However, they’re unideal for tasting rooms because most wines are served below room temperature. Holding the base of a stemless wine glass transfers heat from the hand to the bowl and warms the wine.

How to Hold Red Wine Glass vs White

The best practices for holding a wine glass are the same for both red and white wine. However, the need for holding a wine glass by its stem is greater for white wine, since sommeliers serve it chilled. We break down the distinctions between how you should hold a red vs white wine glass below.

How to Hold a Red Wine Glass

The best way to hold a red wine glass is by its stem. This preserves its ideal serving temperature. If you’re drinking red wine on a winterized patio space, hold the red wine glass by its bowl to keep it from chilling.

How to Hold a White Wine Glass

Since white wine is chilled, serve it in a stemmed wine glass and hold the glass by its stem. Holding a white wine glass by its stem preserves its serving temperature.

How to Hold a Wine Glass Video

For a video reference on how to properly hold a wine glass, watch the video below:

How to Drink Wine

Pick one spot on the wine glass to drink from for the entire evening. This keeps your glass cleaner, its aromas fresher, and prevents unsightly lip marks from encircling the rim.

How to Carry Multiple Wine Glasses

Server on a vineyard patio carrying multiple wine glasses on a tray

To provide a proper wine service, your wait staff will need to transport multiple wine glasses to tables. The safest way to carry multiple wine glasses is with non-skid trays or a specialized wine glass tray. If you don’t have a tray, follow the steps below to carry multiple wine glasses without smudging their bowls, risking breakage, or contaminating their rims.

  1. Turn your hand palm-side up.
  2. Add the wine glasses between your fingers. Rest the bases of the glasses on your palm and allow their bowls to hang upside down beneath your hand.
  3. Layer the glass bases so they touch your fingers or overlap with the other bases. You can safely transport up to four glasses this way.

How Do You Toast Wine Glasses?

Many formal events will include a toast where you must clink your wine glass against other guests’ glasses. Crystal glasses are prone to shattering if you don't clink them properly. Even when using sturdier glasses, toasting wine glasses can lead to spills, breakage, and germ transfer. Mitigate these concerns by using the bell-to-bell method to toast with wine glasses.

What Is the Bell-To-Bell Method?

The bell-to-bell method is a safe and resonant way to clink wine glasses. To perform the bell-to-bell method, clink the big round part of your wine glass (aka its “bell”) to the bell of your clinking partner’s wine glass. When the wine glass bells make contact, they will release an enduring ring. Hand or machine-blown crystal glass will deliver the greatest resonance. Heavy crystal glasses and thicker rolled-lip glasses do not offer the same enduring ring.

How to Swirl Wine

a person's hand grips a wineglass by its stem to swirl it on a wooden table

Knowing how to grab a wine glass to swirl wine is essential to running a wine-tasting room. Follow the steps below to learn how to swirl wine glasses properly. Start by practicing swirling wine atop a table to build muscle memory. Once you've mastered the technique, you'll be ready to swirl the wine in the air. We've outlined the best way to hold a wine glass for swirling below.

  1. Set the wine glass on a flat surface.
  2. Pinch the stem where it meets the base between your thumb and index finger.
  3. Draw small circles on the table with the glass.
  4. The contents of the glass will swirl; continue the process for approximately 20-30 seconds.

Why Do You Swirl Wine?

Swirling wine releases its aromas and improves its flavor.

Back to Top

If you're training to become a bartender, use our guide to learn how to hold wine glasses properly. By following best practices, you can prevent wine glasses from contaminating each other during a toast or breaking during transport. If you're trying to teach patrons how to swirl their wine, teach them the proper way to hold a wine glass to swirl wine with our guide.

The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. Please refer to our Content Policy for more details.
External Link

You are about to leave the security of WebstaurantStore.com.

We are not responsible for the privacy policy or any content, links or software, or any consequences from your access to or use of the technologies, websites, information and programs made available on this new site.

Do you want to proceed?

Related Resources

  • Dessert Wines For Your Wine List

    From the food to the wine, your in-house sommelier has expertly offered pairing suggestions to bring out the best flavors in both. Does the night end here? The pivotal question is asked, “Did we save room for dessert?” Many guests are too full after their meal to dive into a cheesecake, but they would be delighted to sip on some sweet wine and continue their conversations. We’ve created a guide to the world of dessert wine so you can understand the different styles and enhance your restaurant’s wine service. What Is Dessert Wine? Unlike types of table wine that are typically enjoyed in larger quantities throughout a meal, dessert wines are meant to be savored in small amounts at the end of a meal or alongside a dessert course. Dessert wines come from grapes that are particularly high in natural sugars. When winemakers develop dessert wines, they intentionally halt the fermentation process before the yeast converts all of the grape sugars into alcohol. This deliberate interruption leaves residual sugars in the wine, contributing to its sweet flavor and often higher alcohol content (ABV). The elevated alcohol content, combined with the residual sugars, creates a luscious and indulgent drinking experience. Dessert Wine Styles Before getting into the most popular dessert wines, you must first understand their different categories. Not all dessert wines are produced the same way. There are five primary styles of dessert wine. We briefly explain the differences between each dessert wine-making method below. Ice Wine: Also known as Eiswein, this style of dessert wine is made from grapes that freeze while still on the vine. They’re picked and pressed before they thaw, so what is extracted is pure, sweet nectar. Fortified Wine: Winemakers add additional spirits to fortified wines to preserve them. They typically add these spirits before all the grape sugar has fermented, which produces a sweet final product. Late Harvest Wine: This style of dessert wine is made from grapes that are harvested late in the growing season. These grapes vine-ripen the longest and have the highest sugar content, making them perfect for producing dessert wines. Noble Rot Wine: Also known as botrytis cinerea, noble rot is a fungal rot that causes grapes to shrivel and sweeten. This process produces honey and ginger essences in wine. Dried Grape Wine: Known as Passito in Italy, this style of dessert wine is made by laying the grapes out to dry, much like the process of producing raisins. During this process, the grapes lose up to 70% of their moisture which produces a sweet wine once pressed. Types of Dessert Wine Now that you understand the broad style categories dessert wines can fall into, it’s time to explore the most popular dessert wines. We explain the nuances of beloved dessert wines so you can expertly craft your wine list and train your servers to make pairing suggestions: 1. Port Port is a sweet dessert wine that comes from Portugal. Authentic port wine is made from a unique blend of Indigenous Portuguese grapes such as Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, and Tinta Roriz. Each adds its unique flavor to the wine. There are four primary styles of port wine. Ruby Port boasts a deep red hue and features red fruit and chocolate flavors punctuated by a spicy acidity. Tawny Ports are oak barrel-aged for several years which produces a very sweet wine with nut and caramel flavors. White Port wines have essences of dried peaches, incense, and tangerine zest because they are made with indigenous white Portuguese grapes like Rabigato, Viosinho, Gouveio, and Malvasia. Rose Port is a relatively new style and has strawberry, framboise liqueur, cinnamon, and honey notes. While port makes a delicious after-dinner drink, it’s also a beloved cooking ingredient. Pastry chefs commonly use it to make decadent chocolate cakes and chocolate sauces. Not limited to desserts, chefs simmer port wine to reduce it into a thick sauce known as port reduction. Plating chefs drizzle the port reduction over blue cheese-topped steaks, game meats, or lamb. Port reduction offers a boozy, sweet alternative to a balsamic glaze for caprese, crostini, and crispy Brussels sprouts. When making your reduction, we recommend choosing an affordable ruby Port. This style of Port reduction is versatile and adds rich, red berry and cinnamon essences to your sauces. Port Wine Style: Fortified Port Wine Profile: Very sweet, Full-bodied, High tannins, Medium acidity, High ABV Port Wine Dominant Flavors: Ripe blackberry, Raspberry sauce, Cinnamon, Candy apple, Star anise Port Wine Origin: Douro, Portugal How to Serve Port Wine: Serve port wine at just below room temperature (60 degrees Fahrenheit) in a three-ounce port wine glass Port Wine Pairing Suggestions: Ruby Port: blue cheese, Vintage Port: dark chocolate, Tawney Port: creme caramel, Rose Port: ruby chocolate truffles 2. Madeira Madeira, pronounced mad-deer-uh, is a fortified wine originating from its namesake, Madeira, Portugal. It was first created between 1600 and 1700 hundred as a result of spoilage during sea voyages. Vintners began adding a little brandy to fortify the wine to withstand long charters. During this time, the island of Madeira served as an essential point for seafarers sailing to the Americas or the East Indies. Sailers stocked up on Madeiran wine while at port, and the wine would then heat and cool during their ships' journey through the tropics. These temperature fluctuations deepened and enhanced the wine’s flavor. The term Vinho da Roda was then applied to the sea-aging process. Today, Madeira wines are typically made using either the estufa or canteiro method. Maderia wines made using the estufa method are heated in tanks for a short period. Canteiro method Maderia wines are naturally barrel-aged in warm rooms or under the sun. There are two main types of Madeira wine: blended and single-varietal. Blended Madeira wines are of average quality (except for a few aged styles) and are inexpensive. Single-varietal Madeira wines are of the highest quality and are made of four grape varieties. Due to their exceptional quality and sweetness, single-varietal Maderias are perfect for dessert wine menus. Like Port, Madeira is also commonly used in cooking. Be wary of wines labeled as “Madeira Cooking Wine”, as these are typically not true Madeira. Instead, opt for blended Madeira wines labeled as “Finest” or “Rainwater”, as these are inexpensive yet genuine Madeira options that are ideal for cooking. These Maderia wines are ideal for sauteing different types of mushrooms, adding a sweet, smoky essence to soups, reducing sauces, or making salad dressings. Madeira Wine Style: Fortified Madeira Wine Profile: Off-dry, Full-bodied, Medium-high sweetness, Medium-high acidity, High ABV Madeira Wine Dominant Flavors: Burnt caramel, Orange peel, Walnut oil, Hazelnut, Peach Madeira Wine Origin: Madeira, Portugal How to Serve Madeira Wine: Serve Madeira at cellar temperature (55 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit) in a white wine glass or three-ounce dessert wine glass depending on the style Madeira Wine Pairing Suggestions: Swedish almond cake, Candied almonds, Gouda cheese, Blue cheese, Pumpkin creme brulee 3. Sherry Sherry, pronounced share-ee, is the top fortified wine in Spain. It’s made through a unique multi-vintage aging process known as solera. Soleras are tiers of interconnected barrels arranged with anywhere from three to nine steps known as criaderas (aka scales). Winemakers add new wine to the top scale (barrel), and they take a small portion of finished wine from the bottom scale, triggering wine to run down the scales in tiny amounts with each release. Sherry wine “runs the scales” for a minimum of three years. Some elite winemakers let their sherry run the scales for 50 years or more. Anada, a rare vintage sherry, is an exception. Sherry wines are made in both dry and sweet styles, and offering guests a mix of both is a great enhancement to any wine business. Dry sherry wines are made with Palomino Fino grapes and come in various styles. A few popular dry sherry wines include Fino and Manzanilla, a very light sherry that has a salty, fruity flavor and is served chilled; Amontillado, which is bolder than Fino and Manzanilla with a nutty flavor; Palo Cortado offers rich, roasted flavors like molasses and coffee; Oloroso is a dark, nutty sherry produced by long term oxidative aging. In contrast, winemakers typically use Pedro Ximenez or Moscatel grapes to produce sweet sherry wines. Popular sweet sherry wines include Pedro Ximez (PX), which is the sweetest style made with Pedro Ximenez grapes and boasting fig and date flavors; Moscatel is produced from Muscat of Alexandria grapes and has a caramel flavor; sweetened sherry is often made by blending Oloroso sherry with Pedro Ximenez. Sherry Wine Style: Fortified Sherry Wine Profile: Medium-low fruit, Off-dry, Medium-bodied, Medium-high Acidity, High ABV Sherry Wine Dominant Flavors: Jackfruit, Saline, Preserved lemon, Brazil nut, Almond Sherry Wine Origin: Spain How to Serve Sherry Wine: Serve between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit in a dessert wine glass Sherry Wine Pairing Suggestions: Fish, Olives, Toasted almonds, Cured meats, Manchego cheese, Truffled cheeses 4. Marsala Marsala, pronounced mar-sal-uh, is a fortified Italian wine that is often associated with cooking. While it makes a wonderful addition to any chef’s pantry, it shouldn’t just be relegated to the role of ingredient. Many styles of Marsala wine rival other dessert wines such as Sherry or Madeira. There are three styles of Marsala wine: gold, amber, and rosso. Gold (Oro) Marsala is made with white grapes. Amber (Ambra) Marsala is made with white grapes and cooked wine must. Rosso (Rubino) is a red Marsala that contains up to 30% white grapes. It comes in dry, semi-sweet, and sweet styles. One of the benefits of Marsala wine is it complements hard-to-pair food items like brussels sprouts, oysters or clams, smoked fish, and mature cheeses beautifully. While we don’t want you to overlook the benefits of serving Marsala on its own, there is no denying that it makes an excellent cooking wine. Go for inexpensive Marsala wines when cooking; look for labels that say “Fine” or “Superiore” Marsala. Most recipes will call for gold or amber styles. Whether you want a sweet or dry variety depends on your recipe. Sweet Marsala is perfect for making honeyed sauces to pair with chicken or pork, or to create a rich dessert sauce for garnishing cakes and enhancing custards like the Italian zabaglione. Dry Marsala wines are ideal for adding nutty flavors to rich, savory entrees like beef tenderloin, mushrooms, or veal. If you can only invest in one of the two, dry Marsala will prove the more versatile style for cooking. Looking for a Marsala substitute? If you have Maderia on hand, you can swap it for Marsala in your recipe because the two dessert wines have similar flavor profiles. Marsala Wine Style: Fortified Marsala Wine Profile: Medium-fruit, Full-bodied, Medium-high sweetness, Medium acidity, High ABV Marsala Wine Dominant Flavors: Stewed apricot, Vanilla, Tamarind, Brown sugar, Tobacco Marsala Wine Origin: Italy Marsala Wine How to Serve: Serve Marsala around 55 degrees Fahrenheit in a dessert wine glass Marsala Wine Pairing Suggestions: Oysters, Chocolate, Parmigiano cheese, Pecorino cheese, Brussels sprouts 5. Vin Santo Vin Santo, pronounced vin son-tow, is a sweet, viscous dessert wine from Italy. Tuscany and Umbria are the main Vin Santo wine regions. It’s made with the appassimento method where harvesters lay the grapes out on a straw mat for up to six months. During that time, the grapes lose around 70% of their water content, similar to the process of producing raisins. Winemakers squeeze the shriveled grapes and place them in oak or chestnut barrels to vinify. Vin Santo’s fermentation process is extremely slow and takes around four years to complete. There are two main types of Vin Santo: white and red. White Vin Santo is the most common and offers dried fig, almond, and toffee flavors that come from Malvasia Banca and Trebbiano grapes. Made with Sangiovese grapes, red Vine Santo, also known as Occhio di Pernice, is a rare style that offers caramel, coffee, and hazelnut flavors. It is an age-old Italian tradition to pair Vin Santo with an almond biscotti, aka cantucci, and serve it as the indulgent finishing touch to a meal. The nutty flavors of the biscotti complement Vin Santo, and guests enjoy submerging these baked goods in the wine, letting the sweet liquid saturate the biscotti. Dipping and nibbling the evening away, let your guests experience la dolce vita. However, Vin Santo is also delicious when served alongside other classic Italian desserts like tiramisu, or as a pairing to a charcuterie board filled with savory cured meats, roasted nuts, and cheeses. It has earned the moniker “Holy Wine” because Vin Santo grapes are fermented in the Spring around Easter time. Marsala Wine Style: Dried grape wine Marsala Wine Profile: Medium-fruit, Full-bodied, Very sweet, Medium-high acidity, High ABV Marsala Wine Dominant Flavors: Hazelnut, Caramel, Fig, Perfume, Raisin, Toffee, Almond Marsala Wine Origin: Central Italy (predominately Tuscany) How to Serve Marsala Wine: Serve Vin Santo between 55 and 58 degrees Fahrenheit in a dessert wine glass Marsala Wine Pairing Suggestions: Biscotti, Tiramisu, Brown sugar cinnamon bread pudding, Fruit tarts, Prosciutto, Gorgonzola cheese, Roquefort cheese, Mascarpone 6. Sauternes Sauternes, pronounced sow-turn-aye, is a full-bodied, late-harvest white wine with a very sweet flavor profile achieved by noble rot. The overarching term Sauternais categorizes dessert wine-producing areas of Bordeaux, France. They are usually located near the river because this location makes grapes prone to developing noble rot. Sauternes wine is made exclusively with white grapes grown in Bordeaux. The three most popular varieties are Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle. Semillon grapes have thin skins, making them vulnerable to noble rot and ideal for this type of wine. They also contribute body and tropical fruit essences. Sauvignon Blanc grapes create the wine’s signature acidity and add lime and grapefruit flavors. Making up a small portion of the blend or omitted entirely, the rare Muscadelle grape adds floral notes. A four-ounce serving of Sauternes wine contains 17 grams of sugar. To put this into perspective, a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains 39 grams of sugar. While this might sound overly saccharine, the naturally high acidity of Sauternes wine counteracts its sugar content and produces a pleasant, balanced flavor. This sweet, fruit-forward wine is saturated with honeyed apricot, caramel, marmalade, and tropical fruit flavors. Sauternes is a sweet, complex wine that stands on its own, but you can create a pairing menu by serving it alongside Roquefort or Livarot cheeses. Encourage guests to sip on Sauternes while enjoying cheesecake, frozen treats, custards, and fruit-based desserts like our bourbon peach galette (consider swapping the bourbon for Sauternes in the recipe). Sauternes Wine Style: Noble rot Sauternes Wine Profile: Fruit-forward, Medium-low bodied, Very sweet, High acidity, Medium ABV Sauternes Wine Dominant Flavors: Lemon curd, Honey, Quince, Apricot, Ginger Sauternes Wine Origin: Bordeaux, France How to Serve Sauternes Wine: Serve Sauternes chilled between 42 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit in a four-ounce white wine glass Sauternes Wine Pairing Suggestions: Roquefort cheese, Livarot cheese, Ice cream, Fruit-based desserts, Ube cheesecake, Custards Whether they’re paired with a round of sweet treats or enjoyed on their own, dessert wines enhance customers’ dining experience. As an operator, adding dessert wines to your repertoire is an easy way to make additional sales. Many dessert wines are ideal for cooking applications as well, and your chefs can use them to enhance the flavor of your dishes and create decadent sauces.

  • How to Build a Restaurant Wine List

    Many restaurants do not have the luxury of having a sommelier to help create a wine list. In fact, only a small number of restaurants have this privilege. This means that it is the responsibility of the restaurant owner or manager to choose wines that pair well with the menu. To run a successful wine service, follow the guidelines below to create a wine list that is both financially rewarding and appealing. Shop All Wine Glasses Tips for Designing a Wine List Whether you’re dedicating a page on your menu or creating a separate wine list for every table, there are several ways you can make your menu easy to read for the customer while maximizing your profitability. Do not organize wine by price Keep the list simple and provide important information like vintage, country of origin, body, and price per glass or bottle Offer variety to appeal to various price points and tastes Arrange your collection in an order that makes logical sense, such as dry to sweet, table wine or dessert wine, by geographical origin, or by the body of the wine Highlight specially selected mid- to high-priced wines on the menu to upsell or showcase Suggest food and wine pairings on menu items Keep your wines rotating seasonally to keep it from becoming too stale or boring Select types of wine that complement your menu. For example, if you have a steakhouse, you want a lot of bold, full-bodied reds and less floral whites. If you run an Asian restaurant, serve more delicate, spice- and fruit-filled wines and bubbly roses to counteract the heat of spicy dishes. Alternatively, you might fill your menu with wines from the same country as the food you serve. Wine Flavor Profiles It's important to understand wine tasting basics so you can create a well-varied menu. For example, higher sugar content results in a wine with a sweeter flavor, whereas high tannin levels make wine feel more dry or bitter in the mouth. Common terms used to describe the flavor and mouthfeel of wine include spicy, fruity, floral, peppery, earthy, and smoky. As you curate a selection of wines to fit your food menu, consider the following factors and profiles commonly used to describe the flavor of wine. 1. Sweetness When pairing on a menu, wine should always be at least as sweet as the food. Descriptive Terms: Dry, Semi-Dry, Semi-Sweet, Sweet 2. Acidity The more acidic the wine, the better it will cleanse your palate. This trait makes it ideal for pairing with rich, creamy dishes. Descriptive Terms: Low to High 3. Complexity Pair complex wines with simpler foods, and pair simple wines with powerful, flavorful dishes. Descriptive Terms: Simple to Complex 4. Alcohol Content Wines with a lower ABV typically pair best with salty or spicy foods. Wines with high ABV, such as fortified wines, should be served after dinner. Descriptive Terms: Low, Medium, High 5. Oak Influence The more oaky the wine, the better it will pair with robust, smoky flavors. Descriptive Terms: None to Oaky What Are Tannins in Wine? Tannins in wine are naturally occurring polyphenol compounds found in plant parts, including the skin of grapes. They exist in many other foods, such as tea leaves, walnuts, almonds, and dark chocolate. When vintners make wine, they extract tannins from the fruit or the wooden barrels they use to age the wine. This produces the drying sensation in your mouth as you sip a full-bodied red wine. Most wines with higher tannin levels are red wines, though white wines may have tannins if they are aged in wooden barrels. What Is a Red Wine Headache? A red wine headache is caused by either histamines released in your body when drinking aged wines or the tannins found on the skin of grapes. For some, drinking just a glass or two of red wine can cause headaches or migraines, while others feel no effect. Histamines are the same chemical released when your body has an allergic reaction, and the release of this chemical can cause symptoms, including headaches. Alternatively, red wine contains more tannins than white. Because some people are sensitive to tannins, their body reacts poorly to a glass of cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Temperature of the Wine The temperature at which you store and serve your wine will depend on the variety. Red wine should be served at room temperature between 62 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit White wine should be served cool at a temperature below 55 degrees Fahrenheit or chilled Sparkling wine should be chilled at least 3 hours in the refrigerator before service When building your wine menu, consider altering the wine based on the temperature at which it should be served. For example, patrons may be more likely to order a warm, full-bodied red wine in winter and a chilled glass of sparkling rose in the summer. Common Types of Wine There are countless varietals and blends of wine in the world, all with unique features, but choosing a few popular types of red and white wines from our guide below will get your restaurant's wine list off to a great start. If you don't have an in-house sommelier, it might feel overwhelming to create a wine list. However, following the tips above and improving your knowledge of food and wine pairings makes the process manageable. It's crucial to offer a varied menu that appeals to a wide range of customers while also ensuring that your wine list complements the dishes served in your restaurant.

  • Guide to the Most Popular Types of Wine

    You want to create an elegant wine and cheese pairing, but you may not quite understand the difference between a cabernet sauvignon and a sauvignon blanc. Mastering wine knowledge is no easy feat. There are over a thousand wine varieties to choose from, all grown in countless unique wine regions worldwide. To the aspiring wine connoisseur, this is both exciting and overwhelming. The best place to start is by understanding the nuances of the most popular grapes used to make wine. Wine grapes have seeds, are sweeter than table grapes, and are much smaller than what you see in the grocery store. Even the wines you feel most familiar with have an incredible complexity of flavor and vary widely based on their climate, region, and fermentation process. Our comprehensive guide to the top 10 most popular types of wine will equip your wine service staff to make pairing suggestions and provide educated answers to guests' questions. Click on any of the links below to skip to the type of wine that interests you: Cabernet Sauvignon Moscato Rose Wine Pinot Noir Pinot Grigio Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc Riesling Port Wine Merlot Types of Wine If you’re developing a wine list, you must lay the foundation with the classics. From full-bodied reds to crisp whites, we provide a list of the top 10 most popular wines. We’ll teach you where the wine grapes are grown, as well as their dominant flavors, how to serve them, and how to pair them. 1. Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet sauvignon, pronounced cab-er-nay-saw-vin-yawn, is a full-bodied red wine originating from France. Its flavor profile is dry with medium-high tannins and acidity, with an average ABV (alcohol by volume) of 13.5 to 15%. Its high tannin content acts as a palette cleanser when paired with rich, fatty proteins, and its full body complements flavorful dishes and sauces. Cabernet sauvignon grapes appeared in Bordeaux in the mid-1600s as a natural cross between cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc. They blend most of the cabernet sauvignon grapes grown in Bordeaux with other wine grapes (popularly merlot) into the world-renowned Bordeaux blend. Today, cabernet sauvignon is the most planted wine grape worldwide. While it flourishes everywhere from the Americas to Asia, the top three producers of cabernet sauvignon are France, Chile, and the USA. There are regional differences between cabernet sauvignon grapes grown in warmer and cooler climates. Warm climates produce cabernet sauvignon with strong black fruit, black pepper, and cocoa powder flavors. These grapes typically yield higher ABV wines with ripe-tasting tannin qualities. Cabernet sauvignon grapes grown in cooler climates exhibit red fruit, mint, and green peppercorn flavors. The wines they produce typically have a lighter body compared to their warm-climate counterparts. Profile: Dry, Full-Bodied, Medium-High Tannins, Medium Acidity, Medium-High ABV Dominant Flavors: Black Cherry, Black Current, Baking Spices, Graphite, Cedar Origin: France How to Serve: Serve cabernet sauvignon between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit in an oversized wine glass after decanting for 1 hour. Pairing Suggestion: Short Ribs or Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Butternut Squash 2. Moscato Moscato, pronounced moe-ska-toe, is the Italian name for one of the oldest wine grapes, muscat blanc. There are three main styles of wine made from muscat blanc grapes, the most popular are the sweet and semi-sparkling wine known as Moscato d’Asti and the sparkling wine Asti Spumante, both of which are from Italy and have Italy’s DOCG classification, providing a guarantee of origin. Several regions produce dessert moscato wines that contain over 200g/L of residual sugar and have a viscosity that mirrors hot maple syrup. Dry and aromatic muscat blanc wines are traditionally produced in Germany, Alsace, France, and Alto Adige, Italy. While muscat blanc grapes originated in ancient Greece and Italy, they're now primarily cultivated in Italy and France. Muscat blanc wine grapes produce fruit-forward wines with dominant flavors of citrus like Meyer lemon and mandarin orange accompanied by a trio of pear, orange blossom, and honeysuckle. Their alcohol content is low, usually around 5.5% ABV. Moscato wines are best served cold, but the best glass depends on the style of the wine. Muscat blanc wines are sweet, light-bodied, and typically contain bubbles. Still moscato wines are made with both muscat blanc grapes and other muscat varieties such as muscat Alexandria. Moscato wines pair wonderfully with spicy foods and Asian foods because their low alcohol levels and high sweetness complement heat and aromatics. For proteins, it does well with lighter meats like chicken, turkey, shellfish, and flaky white fish. Moscato pairs well with medium to firm cheeses made from either cow’s or sheep’s milk. Profile: Fruit-Forward, Low-Alcohol, Low Acid, Low Body, and Sweet Dominant Flavors: Myer Lemon, Mandarin Orange, Pear, Orange Blossom, Honeysuckle Origin: Ancient Greece and Italy How to Serve: Serve moscato between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit in a sparkling wine, white wine, or dessert wine glass depending on the style. Pairing Suggestion: Sushi or Spicy Maple Glazed Turkey 3. Rose Wine Rose wine, pronounced rose-aye, isn’t defined by a certain type of grape but by how it’s made. It’s produced by fermenting grape juice with its skins for a short period, and then separating the wine from the skins before its color turns deep red. The rest of the fermentation process is completed without the skins by briefly leaving it to settle and stabilize in cool storage tanks before being clarified, bottled, and released. Nearly every grape variety is used to make rose-style wine. Rose is a fruit-forward wine with dominant flavors of strawberry, honeydew melon, rose petal, celery, and orange peel. Typically dry, rose wines have an average body, acidity, and alcohol content. Serving rose wine in an aroma collector glass helps capture its subtle floral notes that are hard to detect when it’s served out of a regular white wine glass. Always serve rose cold. Pair it with delicate and nutty cheeses, white meats, root vegetables, fresh and resinous herbs, and alliums (garlic, onion, shallot). While its origins are unknown, almost every major country produces rose wine. The top four producers in descending order are France, Italy, USA, and Spain. French rose wines are dry and typically contain a blend of grenache and syrah wine grapes. They’re usually sourced from Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon. In Italy, rose is called rosato and is produced all over the country using several varieties of indigenous wine grapes. Most zinfandel grapes produced in the USA go toward making white zinfandel, a type of rose wine that balances off-dry and sweet flavor profiles. While white zinfandel is the most common type of American-made rose, many new styles are introduced each year. The two most popular types of Spanish rose are made from the meaty tempranillo wine grapes and the brilliant ruby-hued Garnacha which deliver candied grapefruit flavors. Profile: Average Body, Fruit-Forward, Average Acidity, Dry, Average Alcohol Content Dominant Flavors: Strawberry, Honeydew Melon, Rose Petals, Celery, Orange Peel Origin: Unknown How to Serve: Serve rose between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit in an aroma collector glass. Pairing Suggestion: Burrata Salad with Fig and Crispy Prosciutto or a Charcuterie Board 4. Pinot Noir Pinot noir, pronounced pee-no nwar, is the most highly prized wine grape in the world. Originating from Burgundy, France, its two largest producers are now France and the USA. Typically, the dominant flavors of pinot noir are cranberry, cherry, and raspberry. Clove and mushroom essences add complexity to its flavor profile. Pinot noir has an average body and alcohol content, medium-high acidity, and medium-low tannins. Its flavor and aroma shine when served at cellar temperature in an aroma collector glass after decanting for 30 minutes. Pinot noir is one of the most universal pairing wines because it’s light enough to pair with seafood and complex enough to complement rich game meats. There are three primary styles of pinot noir wine: rose, light red, and sparkling. Rose made from pinot noir is zesty and provides the flavors of elderflower, green strawberry, and sour plum. While multiple types of sparkling wines contain pinot noir grapes, the Cremant d’Alsace rose is 100% pinot noir. The flavor of light red pinot noir varies greatly by region, vintage, and producer. Pinot noir from California, Central Otago, NZ, South Australia, Chile, and Argentina delivers flavors of raspberry and clove. Cranberry and mushroom essences are common in pinot noir made in France, Germany, Italy, and Oregon. Profile: Strong Fruit-Flavors, Average Body, Average Alcohol Content, Medium-High Acidity, Medium-Low Tannins Dominant Flavors: Cranberry, Cherry, Raspberry, Clove, Mushroom Origin: Burgundy, France How to Serve: Serve pinot noir between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit in an aroma collector glass after decanting for 30 minutes. Pairing Suggestion: Sauteed Duck Breasts with Wild Mushrooms or Burnt Ends 5. Pinot Grigio Pinot grigio, pronounced pee-no gree-jo, is a light-bodied white wine with a refreshing flavor. It’s one of four common types of pinot grapes alongside pinot blanc, pinot noir, and pinot meunier. It has a gray-purple skin and is used to make white and rose wine. Its dominant flavors are lemon, yellow apple, melon, nectarine, and peach. Despite this, it isn’t considered a fruit-forward wine. It’s light-bodied and dry with average acidity and alcohol content. Originally from France and Italy, the three largest modern producers are Italy, the USA, and Germany. Enjoy pinot grigio ice cold in a white wine glass. Pair it with a flaky fish dish, shellfish, and softer cow’s milk cheeses. Pinot grigio, also known as pinot gris, has three common styles. The style from Northern Italy that we most associate with this wine grape is minerally and dry with citrus notes and salinity. American, Australian, and other warm weathered climates typically produce pinot grigio that is fruity and dry. Sweet and fruity pinot grigio is typically made in Alsace, France, and is imbued with flavors of peach, lemon, and honey. The Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy produces a unique style of pinot grigio called ramato that is used to make a pale-copper-colored rose. Profile: Light Fruit Flavors, Light Body, Dry, Average Acidity, Average Alcohol Content Dominant Flavors: Lemon, Yellow Apple, Melon, Nectarine, Peach Origin: France and Italy How to Serve: Serve pinot grigio between 45 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit in a white wine glass. Pairing Suggestion: Moules Frites or King Crab Legs Back to Top 6. Chardonnay Chardonnay, pronounced shar-dun-nay, is the world’s most planted white grape. Chardonnay wines are full-bodied and fruit-forward with dominant flavors of yellow apple, starfruit, pineapple, butter, and chalk. It has medium-low dryness, average acidity, and medium-high alcohol content. Chardonnay grapes were first grown in France. The top four producers today in descending order are France, the USA, Australia, and Italy. While typically served cold, try serving a rich, creamy chardonnay at 55 degrees Fahrenheit, because slightly warming chardonnay releases its aroma into the bowl of the wineglass. Chardonnays are so versatile you can pair them with almost anything, but they’re popularly paired with creamy sauces, starchy vegetables, and different varieties of oysters. Chardonnay is one of the few grapes that can grow in a wide range of temperatures, but the climate where it's grown highly affects its flavor. Cooler climates will produce chardonnay with more quince and starfruit flavors. Warmer climates typically produce chardonnay with bolder pineapple and yellow apple essences. Sparkling wines labeled “Blanc de Blancs” are made with chardonnay. Chardonnay comes in three popular styles: oaked, unoaked, and sparkling. Oakey, creamy, and rich chardonnay wines are cultivated in California, Chile, Australia, Argentina, Spain, and Cote de Beaune, Burgundy. Steel-barrel aged, light, and zesty chardonnay are produced in Western Australia, and the Maconnais and Chablis regions of France. Profile: Fruit Forward, Medium-Full Body, Dry, Medium Acidity, Medium-High Alcohol Dominant Flavors: Lemon, Yellow Apple, Melon, Nectarine, Peach Origin: France How to Serve: Serve sparkling Chardonnay between 38 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit, Chablis around 45 degrees Fahrenheit, and oak-aged styles around 55 degrees Fahrenheit in a white wine glass. Pairing Suggestion: Oysters or Panzanella Salad 7. Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon blanc, pronounced saw-vin-yawn blonk, is a light-bodied white wine from France. France remains the largest producer of sauvignon blanc wine grapes, but it is now grown worldwide. It is known for its green, herbal flavors and essences of gooseberries, green melon, grapefruit, white peach, and passion fruit. While it has very little body, it makes up for it with a striking sour tang imparted by its strong acidity. Sauvignon blanc has a medium-low dryness and its alcohol content is average. It’s served ice cold in a white wine glass. Sauvignon blanc pairs wonderfully with herby sauces whether that be Italian pesto sauce or Asian basil stir fry. For cheese, it is an excellent complement to soft, flavorful options like feta, goat cheese, and Camembert. To preserve its herbal, zesty flavor sauvignon blanc is usually aged in steel tanks. Robert Mondavi made barrel-aged sauvignon blanc famous in the 1970s when he renamed it fume blanc. When it’s barrel-aged, sauvignon blanc has a creamy flavor while retaining the green, herbal notes that it’s known for. The terrior of its growing region also affects the flavor of the wine. Sauvignon blanc wine grapes grown in cooler climates like the Loire Valley in France will exhibit lime flavors. The same grapes, when grown in warmer climates like the northern coast of California, offer flavors of white peach. New Zealand sauvignon blanc is prized for its passion fruit flavor. When grown in moderate climates, it exhibits stronger gooseberry and melon flavors. Profile: Herbal, Very Light Body, Very Sour, Dry, Average Alcohol Dominant Flavors: Lemon, Yellow Apple, Melon, Nectarine, Peach Origin: France How to Serve: Serve sauvignon blanc between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit in a white wine glass. Pairing Suggestion: Pesto Gnocchi or Thai Basil Tomato Stir Fry 8. Riesling Riesling, pronounced REESE-ling, is an aromatic white wine prized for its heavily perfumed and sweet aroma. It’s a fruit-forward wine with dominant flavors of lime, green apple, beeswax, jasmine, and petroleum. Riesling’s acidity levels are on par with lemonade, and it has little body. It can either be dry or sweet, and the sweeter varieties contain even less alcohol than their drier counterparts. It’s served fridge cold in a white wine glass. Thanks to its acidity and sweetness, riesling pairs wonderfully with spicy foods like those found in Indian and Asian cuisine. For a cheese pairing, delicately flavored and soft cow’s milk cheese pairs well with riesling. Riesling originated in Germany, and Germany remains the top producer, and its riesling is considered the best in the world. German riesling wines range from very sweet to dry, so they have different labels to designate their sweetness. Rieslings labeled Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) or Beerenauslese (BA) are very sweet. Auslese and Spatlese range from medium sweet to sweet. Kabinett and Halbtrocken are off-dry. Feinherb and Trocken are dry. In the USA, Washington State and New York produce dry and sweet riesling. Clare and Eden Valley in Australia produce dry riesling that has an aroma of lime and petrol. French riesling from Alsace is usually dry. Profile: Fruit-Forward, Very Light Body, Off-Dry, Very Sour, Low Alcohol Dominant Flavors: Lime, Green Apple, Beeswax, Jasmine, Petroleum Origin: Germany How to Serve: Serve riesling fridge cold (43 degrees Fahrenheit) in a white wine glass. Pairing Suggestion: Tikka Masala or Thai Green Curry 9. Port Wine Port is a sweet, fortified dessert wine from Douro, Portugal made from a unique blend of Portuguese indigenous grapes. All Port wines are still made in Portugal to this day. Fortified wines are preserved with additional spirits before all the grape sugar ferments; the addition of the high-alcohol spirit stops the fermentation process. Port is usually fortified with aguardiente, a type of brandy. Due to its intoxicating sweetness and alcohol contents, 3 oz. is considered a standard serving of Port wine, and it’s served in petite Port wine glasses at room temperature. It’s typically paired with rich, flavorful cheeses, sweets like chocolates and caramels, and salty or smokey nuts. Port is often used in cooking as a decadent ingredient in chocolate cakes and sauces, or chefs simmer it into a reduction sauce and drizzle it over steaks and other savory dishes. Port’s dominant flavors are ripe blackberry, raspberry sauce, cinnamon, candy apple, and star anise. It is full-bodied, very astringent, highly alcoholic, and has an average acidity. While there are many categories of Port, most fall into one of four styles: ruby, white, rose, or tawny. Ruby-style Port includes LBV (late bottled vintages) and delivers strong red fruit and chocolate flavors accented by a spicy acidity. White-style Ports are made with white grapes indigenous to Portugal and offer flavors of dried peaches, tangerine zest, white pepper, and incense. Rose-style Ports use the rose fermentation process and deliver notes of honey, strawberry, cinnamon, and framboise liquor. The basic quality version of Port wine will age for over 15 years, and certain Port wines, like Vintage and Crusted Port, age for 30 to 50 years. Profile: Fruit Forward, Full Boded, Astringent, Highly Alcoholic, Average Acidity Dominant Flavors: Ripe Blackberry, Raspberry Sauce, Cinnamon, Candy Apple, Star Anise Origin: Portugal How to Serve: Serve around 60 degrees Fahrenheit in a Port wine glass. Pairing Suggestion: Chocolate Poached Pear Cake or Ruby Chocolate Truffles 10. Merlot Merlot, pronounced murr-low, is a dry red wine with dominant flavors of raspberry, black cherry, sugar plum, chocolate, and cedar. It’s often mistaken for cabernet sauvignon in blind tastings because the two wines are closely related, but this sophisticated wine deserves a spotlight of its own. It has a medium-full body, tannins, and fruit flavors. Its alcohol content is medium-high, and it has an average acidity. As a medium-full-bodied red wine, merlot falls into the “food wine” category, prized for its ability to pair well with a wide variety of dishes. It makes an excellent accompaniment to rich red meat meals like short ribs, pizzas, and pasta dishes. Serve merlot at room temperature in an oversized wine glass after decanting it for approximately 30 minutes. Merlot wine grapes originated in the Bordeaux region of France. France remains the top merlot producer; it is the most planted grape variety in Bordeaux. However, there are now merlot growing regions worldwide. In Italy, merlot is cultivated in Tuscany, Veneto, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. American merlot regions include Washington State and California’s Sonoma and Napa Valleys. Both South and Western Australia cultivate merlot, as does South Africa. The terroir and climate of the region affect the flavor of the merlot it produces. Merlot grown in cool climates produces red currant and red plum flavors, and warmer climates yield flavors of sugarplum and berry jam. Profile: Medium-Full Body, Average Acidity, Astringent, Medium-High Alcohol Dominant Flavors: Raspberry, Black Cherry, Sugar Plum, Chocolate, Cedar Origin: Bordeaux, France How to Serve: Serve merlot at room temperature in an oversized wine glass. Pairing Suggestion: Filet Mignon and Root Vegetable Chips or Chimichurri and Steak Flatbread Back to Top Whether you’re interested in the differences between merlot and cabernet sauvignon, or you want to know how sweet riesling is, our guide to the most popular types of wine answers your questions. Use it as a reference as you explore different regional varieties of these wines. Offer nuanced knowledge of your customers tried and true classics that give them a deeper appreciation for the wines you’re serving.