The Material Your wine glass will be made from either glass, crystal or even plastic if you happen to be drinking outside at your local

wine bar this summer.

Traditional cut crystal glasses are made from lead crystal, where lead is added to the glass at a minimum of 24%.

This changes the properties of the glass and increases light refraction, making it sparkle. Traditional cut crystal exploits this by creating

glasses which sparkle off each cut facet. The glasses are also strong, so they can be made very thin, but unfortunately

are not dishwasher safe.

Glass is much more affordable and dishwasher safe, but it is not possible to get the same brilliance of shine.

However, there is an alternative non lead crystal, where other minerals are

used in place of the lead. This increases the strength and sparkle of the glass, but also can be dishwasher safe.

The Rim - You may only have paid full attention to the rim of your wine glass when passing a few minutes trying to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on a

make shift glass harp to entertain your children whilst waiting for the speeches at the last wedding you went to.

They would have either been rolled or cut. A rolled rim is thicker and is used to add strength to the rim of the glass. A cut rim is much thinner and is preferred

by Sommeliers as it allows the wine to flow smoothly over the tongue.

The Bowl - The bowl of the glass has a simple role, to hold your wine, and sets the tone of the whole look of your glass. This may be elegant,

highly decorative, large, small, plain or cut, whatever suits your style.

But the shape of the glass can also affect how the wine tastes, and there are specific ranges in which glasses are sold for specific wines. For example the bowl

may be wide to increase the oxidation rate of the wine, or shaped to guide the wine to the tip of your tongue to accentuate the fruit and de-emphasise the acidity. It is an

endless topic, but Waterford Elegance is a great range to look out for.

The Stem and foot - The glass stands on its foot and stem. A long thin stem is very elegant, where as a short stem and large foot makes the glass much more stable and

less likely to knock over when passing the mustard at dinner. For the wine taster the stem allows glass to be held without obscuring the view of the wine and

without changing its temperature.

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