There is a practical reason behind the way people are told to hold wine glasses: your hand warms the wine and leaves fingerprints on the bowl. The etiquette follows from that.
Stemmed glasses: hold the stem
Pinch the stem between your thumb and your index and middle fingers, with the other fingers resting lightly on the stem or on the base. Hold it near the bottom of the stem for more stability.
Why: – Temperature: body heat warms the wine, which matters most for whites, rosés and sparkling wines served chilled. – Clarity: a clean bowl lets you see the wine’s color. – Swirling: holding the stem makes it easier to swirl the wine to release aromas.
Other acceptable holds
- Holding the base: thumb on top of the foot, fingers underneath. Common among wine professionals during tastings, but it takes some practice to feel steady.
- Holding the bowl: not wrong at a casual dinner, and some people do it on purpose to warm a red wine that was served too cold. Just be aware of the effects above.
Stemless glasses
Hold the glass near the base, using your fingertips rather than the whole palm, so you warm the wine less and leave fewer prints on the upper part of the bowl. Stemless glasses are practical and harder to knock over, and work best for reds.
Champagne flutes and coupes
Hold flutes and coupes by the stem too, especially because sparkling wine is served cold and loses its bubbles faster when it warms up.
How to swirl
Keep the base on the table and draw small circles, or swirl gently in the air holding the stem. Do not overfill: a third full in a red wine glass, half full for whites, gives room to swirl.
A few serving tips
- Serve whites and rosés chilled (roughly 45 to 55°F), light reds slightly cool, and fuller reds around 60 to 65°F, a little below room temperature.
- Pour around 5 ounces per glass; see how many glasses are in a bottle.
- Clink glasses by touching the bowls rather than the rims, which are more fragile.
- Wash fine glassware by hand and dry it with a lint-free cloth.
Pairing wine with homemade dishes? See a well-seared steak or tips for making delicious pasta.
