Glasses for white wine are shaped differently than glasses for red.
Many factors go into choosing good wine glasses, including size, shape and quality. That said, different wines work best in different types of glasses. Red wine is best served in a rounder, almost globe-shaped glass, while serving white wine in that same glass wouldn't fully bring out the flavor and aroma of the wine. You can test this yourself by first pouring your favorite white wine into a typical red wine glass. Then pour the same wine into a taller, more slender glass to see the real difference glassware can make.
Quality
Before getting into the specific shape of white-wine glasses, it's important to understand what characteristics make a quality wine glass. First, wine glasses should be constructed of thin, clear crystal without any etchings or designs. A clear, thin glass makes viewing the detail of the liquid easier than would an etched glass. If you can't afford fine crystal, fret not, thin, regular glass is an acceptable substitute.
Shape & Design
Generally speaking, white wine is best served in a slender, tulip-shaped glass, according to Ine Tours. This shape helps to concentrate the aroma of the delicate white wines. Also, these slender glasses help the wine stay cool longer, something important to the quality of many white wines. While some like tumbler glasses (those without stems), the stem is crucial to white-wine glasses. A stem helps keep the wine cool by giving you something to grab other than the portion of the glass containing the wine. When you hold the wine glass directly outside the wine, your body heat transfers to the glass, warming the wine faster than is desired.
Sparkling Wines
Sparkling white wines, such as champagne, are traditionally served in a very slender, tall glass. The height of the glass helps to keep the bubbles from rising and overflowing the glass, as well as helping to keep the wine cool. Other sparkling white wines, like sauternes, are best served in wider glasses where the bottom comes to more of a point. The curves of these particular glasses better bring out the apricot aroma present in this sweet wine, and they provide ideal balance between the acidity and sweetness of this wine.
Individual Taste
Ine Tours states that there's no "correct" or "official" way of choosing wine glasses. Ultimately, the choice should boil down as much to personal taste as to what "experts" recommend. Many high-end manufacturers have special glasses for every conceivable type of wine, meaning always having the right glass becomes a little demanding and confusing. If you happen to like your favorite white wine in a wider, red-wine glass, go for it! Also, keep in mind that many manufacturers make "universal" wine glasses good for holding most kinds of wine.
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