How Glass Size Affects Wine Consumption

One of our favorite pet peeves is stemware that does not enhance the flavor of the wine.  This is especially egregious in restaurants that use cheap glasses to serve costly wine.  Now there is word that using glassware that matches the wine increases the likelihood of pouring too much wine and possibly drinking more than you meant to.  The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says a normal glass of wine is five ounces.

Researchers at Cornell and Iowa State Universities recently reported on a study of glass shape and size, as well as other cues that lead to over indulgence.  Seventy-three students who drank at least one glass of wine a week took part in the research.  It was found that a wide mouthed glass lead to 11.9% more wine being poured, hardly an earth shattering discovery, but large glasses can be deceptive.   It takes experience to realize that a small amount of wine in a big glass is more than it appears.  But what was something of a revelation was that the students poured 12.2 % more wine if they were holding the glass rather than pouring into a glass on the table.  We do wonder what the reason is for that.  The research also found that white wine pours are larger than red wine pours.  They didn’t say why but is it possible that we expect white wine to be lighter in alcohol and therefore more generous when we pour?

In summary the research suggests that if you want to cut back on your wine consumption, use a narrower glass, one that doesn’t match the wine you are drinking, and do not hold the glass while pouring.

We have our own suggestion:  Use the correct glass, pour just a little and swirl and sniff, savoring the nose, then sip slowly, swirling occasionally to see how the wine opens up.  We’ve also checked the size of our glasses with water in a measuring cup to have a good idea of where the pouring line should be.  Monitoring your blood alcohol level is important and we are definitely not advocating over imbibing.  But as we said above, the size and shape of the glass is a huge factor in the enjoyment of a glass of wine.   As with all good things, everything in moderation!