1. Red wine
With young red wines, you can be generous and fill the glass halfway, as younger wines generally have lighter bouquets and flavours.
However, aged and vintage wines need to be served with a little more restraint, as they need a good dose of oxygen in order to start releasing their bouquets and flavours. The older the wine, the more aeration it needs. We also recommend gently swilling the wine around the glass in order to help the process. These wines are designed to be enjoyed in smaller quantities, so the best option is to only fill the glass a third of the way.
2. White wine
You can also be generous and fill the glass halfway, as white wine doesn’t normally need as much oxygenation as red. Some people even admit to filling the glass up to three-quarters, although this is not such a good idea as the wine will lose its freshness and heat up more easily. In fact, for young whites that should be enjoyed at very cool temperatures, we recommend filling the glass no more than a third of the way.
3. Rosé wine
As these are lighter wines, we can follow the example of the young red wines and fill the glass halfway.
4. Sparkling wine
The flutes (taller glasses) that are used for cava and champagne allow you to fill the glass up to the top, within a centimetre or so of the rim. But make sure you don’t go overboard!
5. Sherry and port
As these wines have either a stronger (sherry) or sweeter (port) flavour, and both of them have an increased alcohol content, they’re served in smaller glasses and in more moderate quantities. You should fill the glass by a little less than a third, around 90 ml.
6. Dessert wine
Generally, these are denser wines that are served with a dessert after a meal. Like sherry and port, they are served in smaller quantities (between 60 and 90 ml) in smaller, narrower glasses.
