Why do so many people hold their wineglass the wrong way?
Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. And don't worry, I'm no wine snob—you can also ask me those "dumb questions" you're too embarrased to ask your wine geek friends! I hope you find my answers educational, empowering and even amusing. And don't forget to check out my most asked questions and my full archives for all my Q&A classics.
Dear Dr. Vinny,
Why do so many people hold their wineglass the wrong way?
—Don D., White Rock, British Columbia
Dear Don,
Good question. The only time I ever feel like an uptight wine drinker is when I notice someone gripping a wineglass by the bowl. I loathe fingerprints, find it harder to swirl and look at the wine that way, and worry about my body temperature affecting the temperature of the wine. I’m pretty relaxed about stemless wineglasses, though. Better than a coffee mug.
To review, the proper way to hold a wineglass is to pinch the stem, or hold it by the base. But when I ask my bowl-grasping friends why they hold a wineglass as they do, they explain that the top-heavy aspect of a wineglass makes them worried about it falling over. Holding it closer to the center of gravity makes them feel less likely to spill. They are also uncomfortable swirling, so holding a wineglass as if it were a brandy snifter gives them a little more control.
I explain to them that they just need to work on developing those wineglass-holding muscles in their arm and hand. Every day, hold a wineglass properly for a few minutes, work on the swirl (start by not overfilling your wineglass) and eventually you’ll feel like a pro. Practice makes perfect!
—Dr. Vinny
