When it comes to pouring and drinking bubbly, it is recommended to use a champagne glass. The shape of the glass is important when drinking the alcohol as the bubbles will be affected by it. Bubbles are synonymous with sparkling wine, and essential to its enjoyment because they are the means for experiencing the bubbly mouthfeel, as well as releasing flavour and aroma molecules. The classic choices for the enjoyment of sparkling wine are either a coupe or a flute glass.
A coupe glass is wide and short, whilst the flute glass is tall and narrow. The openness of a coupe glass means there is a greater surface area for the sparkling wine bubbles to be released. This means that as you sip, your experience will be more aromatic and flavoursome. However, this open surface area will also speed up the loss of bubbles, and thus lead to the accelerated 'flatness' of your drink.
The champagne flute is the more popular choice. As they are narrow and long in shape, it minimises the surface area of bubbles rising to the surface. This slows the release of flavour and aroma. The narrowness of the rim also allows for your nose to be more fully immersed as you take each sip. Therefore, each time you take a sip, you will experience a more concentrated whiff of the wine aroma.
If you don’t have access to a champagne flute or coupe glass, any glass with a stem will do. The stem keeps the cool alcohol away from the warmth of your hands. Warm hands adversely affect the bubbliness and thus, the flavour of the wine. Takeaway: Don't drink sparkling wine from a drinking glass.