How to Properly Hold a Wine Glass

Proper manners are now a secret handshake for people in high society. So is there even a right way to hold a wine glass? The truth is that there is no right way to hold a wine glass. We think it doesn't really matter what you do as long as you're actively tasting wine but there are some social situations that shouldn't be taken for granted. Read on to find out more.

How to Hold a Wine Glass (Traditional Wine Glass)

Method 1: Hold it by the stem

• Pinch the wine glass's stem with your thumb, index finger, and middle finger.
• Place your fingers on the bottom half of the stem as you move them around. Just above the base, your middle finger should rest on the stem.
• Only these three fingers will touch the stem of the glass directly and the last two fingers should rest naturally on top of the base.
• This is how a wine glass is usually held and this also gives you a lot of stability and keeps your hands away from the glass bowl.

Method 2: Pinch the Stem

• Use your thumb and index finger to pinch the stem. Wrap your index finger around one side of the stem and use the tip of your thumb to hold up the other side of the stem.
• Keep your hand down near the bottom of the stem.
• Make a loose fist with your other three fingers by curling them into your palm.
• Your fingers usually won't touch the bottom of the glass, but it's okay if they do.

Method 3: Hold it above the base

• Take hold of the stem right above the base by using your thumb and index finger to pinch the stem of the glass just above the base.
• Two fingers pinch the glass's stem but they also touch the top of the glass's base.
• By extending your middle finger along the bottom of the base, you can support the glass from underneath and let your other two fingers stay where they are. They may press into the palm of your hand or move along with your middle finger.

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Method 4: Lever the base

• Use your thumb to lever the base by keeping your thumb over the bottom of the glass and use your index and middle fingers to hold up the bottom of the glass.
• When you use this method, none of your fingers touch the glass's stem and your thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers should all gently curve into your palm.
• Support the base with the tops of your index and middle fingers.
• Keep in mind that this is a socially acceptable way to hold someone, but it is also the least stable. Before you use it around other people, it's best to try it out by yourself first.

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What Not To Do: Don't touch the bowl.

• It's rude to hold a wine glass by the bowl, but the reason for this is both practical and polite. The way you hold the bowl can change both the way the wine tastes and how it looks.
• When you hold the bowl of the glass, the wine inside will quickly warm up from the heat of your hands.
• This is most noticeable when drinking white wine or champagne, which tastes best when they are cold instead of red wine,

Also, if you hold the glass by the bowl, you can leave fingerprints on it, which makes it look less elegant.

How to Hold a Stemless Wine Glass

Method 1: Pick up the glass near its bottom.

• Since this kind of wine glass doesn't have a stem, you'll have to hold it like a regular glass.
• But don't hold the glass in the middle or at the top. Instead, grab it near the bottom.
• If you need to keep the glass steady, you can wrap your thumb and all four fingers around it. However, if you can, try to keep only your thumb and two fingers on the glass itself. The other two fingers should gently curl away from the glass or hold it up from underneath.

• Make sure to Minimize contact: Since the heat from your hand can change the temperature of your wine, it's best to hold your stemless wine glass for the shortest amount of time and the fewest number of times possible.
• Try to only hold the glass when you're drinking. If you can put it down somewhere, do so when you're not drinking the wine.
• When you use this kind of wine glass, you're almost certain to get fingerprints on it. Most of the time, that social faux pas won't matter when you're with family and friends.
• However, if you're with wine experts or trying to make a good impression on someone new, it's best to put away the stemless glasses and use the traditional type instead.

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Proper Etiquettes

Tip 1: When necessary, put the glass down.

• If you can't set your glass down and need to support it between sips, you can rest the bottom of the glass on the palm of your non-dominant hand. Do this while still holding the glass by its stem with your dominant hand.
• When you put the glass down at the dinner table, remember to put it to the right of your water glass but if you don't have a water glass, just put your wine glass where the water glass usually goes, in the upper left corner of your place setting.

Tip 2: Use the same spot to drink.

• Try to drink from only one spot on the rim of the wine glass. If you do this, your wine will smell and look better.
• If you drink from too many different spots along the rim of the glass, you can change the smell of the wine and since smell and taste are related, this could also make the wine taste worse.
• Also, just like your fingers, your lips leave a mark on the glass, even if you're not wearing lipstick, balm, or gloss and the top of your glass will look cleaner if you only drink from one spot.

Tip 3: Don't fill the glass all the way up.

• This is a general rule when drinking red wine. The glass should only be one-third full and when drinking white wine, it should be half full.
• In the same way, when you drink champagne or sparkling wine from a champagne flute, you should only fill it three-quarters of the way.
• By only filling part of the glass, you can make it less likely that it will tip over by accident. When a glass is full, it can get heavy. Since you can only hold it by the stem and not the bowl, the weight of the wine can make your hand weak and cause you to drop it.

Tip 4: As you drink, look into your glass

• . When you're about to take a sip of wine, look into your glass instead of at someone or something else because it is especially rude to look at someone else while sipping your wine. This is true whether or not you are talking to someone at the moment.
• On the other hand, when giving a toast, you should look someone in the eye. Look at the person who raises a glass with you. It's polite to do so, and some people believe that if you don't, you'll have bad luck for seven years.

Tip 5: If you want to see what's inside, tilt the glass.

• If you want to look at how the wine looks, tilt the glass just a little and hold it up to the light.
• When you can, use light from outside, and if you can't see the color and clarity well, put your glass up against a white or light background to make it easier to see.

Tip 6: Be careful as you stir the wine.

• People don't mind if you swirl your wine, as long as you don't do it too much. The trick is to gently move the glass around in small circles while keeping the bottom of the glass on a flat surface.
• Hold the stem of the glass firmly while you swirl it, and only do it for 10 to 20 seconds. Be careful with this because if you hold the glass too loosely, move it too quickly, or swirl it for too long, you might accidentally spill your wine.
• Before you drink the wine, swirling it around can also help get rid of any bad taste.

Tip 7: When you smell, put the glass right up to your nose.

• Slightly tilt the glass and stick your nose right inside.
• Instead of sticking your nose right into the glass, you could also hold it about 1 inch (2.5 cm) away from the top and in fact, some people can smell the scent better when they do it this way, while others like the old way better. Either way is acceptable.

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