1. All that wine swirling isn't just for show. Red wine tastes better after being mixed with a little air. The rounder shape of the red wine glass clearly releases the flavor, and the narrowed rim collects it.
2. White wines taste best with a little chill. Besides being elegant, the taller, leaner shape of a white wine glass helps wine stay at the perfect temperature.
3. Unless you like sticking out your pinky, the stem on a wine glass isn't necessary. Many people are turning to stemless wine glasses because they are less fragile and easier to wash and store.
4. Prove it to yourself! After your red wine has had a chance to settle in your wide bowl glass, give it a swirl and put your nose way inside for a sniff. Yep, way inside. You really can pick out hints of familiar scents, like berry, oak and pepper.
5. Quality wine glasses with the optimum shape for red or white aren't just for expensive wines. A Waterford or Riedel glass makes even the cheapest wines taste distinctly better.
6. It's best to hand-wash wine glasses in hot water only. As the round bowl shape amplifies the aroma of wine, so it does for the smell of soap and bleach. Luckily, wine glasses wash easily with a quick wipe.
7. Traditionalists prefer the clearest, simplest wine glasses because they want to see the wine itself. The rest of us can't resist some of the playful designs from Alessi, Mikasa, Hue Phoria and Roost.
8. To get the most out of any wine, fill the glass no fuller than the wide part of the bowl. Give it a swirl or two to mix in a little air and release its scent. The narrower top of the wine glass holds the aroma for your nose to enjoy.
9. Port wine is more condensed and sweet, perfect for after dinner. A port wine glass takes its inspiration from red wine glasses, with a rounder bowl to release the aromatics and a tapered rim to blend the sweet and acidic flavors, but with a smaller overall size better suited for the concentrated pour.
10. Tip your wine glass at about 45 degrees in front of a white napkin to better admire the wine's color. Notice the distinct variations in type and region, from pale red pinot noir to blackberry purple shiraz. White wines run the gamut from crystal clear reislings to honey-amber chardonnays.
