Here's How You Should Be Holding A Wine Glass

Whether you're sitting on a city sidewalk for a wine bar happy hour or tucked in your couch for a nightcap, properly holding a wine glass can elevate the tasting experience. Wine can be enjoyed without being fully appreciated, but in a beverage with such intricacies and production background, the beauty is in the details. And the easiest way to start is by knowing how to hold a glass.

While some say the most natural-feeling way to hold a wine glass is by cupping the bowl, it isn't the most glamorous. No matter if you're drinking a chilled white or a room-temp red, you'll end up with a cool hand and a warm drink. You'll also end up with oily handprints around the bowl and muddy the pristine look of a clear wine glass, meaning you'll have to go even farther to ensure they're clean for the next use.

There are a few ways to hold a glass of wine, but perhaps most common among connoisseurs is by pinching the stem between your thumb and your forefinger and middle finger. Let the rest of your fingers sit gently above the base. The glass will be secure and clean, and the wine will remain at its proper temperature for longer.

In addition to these practical reasons, how you hold a wine glass can be a matter of your personal aesthetic — that is, how you like being seen holding it. If you want to look wise in the ways of wine, try out these other chic ways to hold a glass and decide what feels most comfortable. 

Using a similar hand grip as the previous position, slightly bring your hand up, and pinch the glass's stem between your forefinger and your thumb. Your hand may feel a bit cramped while doing this because you have no base on which to rest your fingers, but after a few minutes, you'll become accustomed to it.

Another classy (albeit precarious) way is to hold the base between a fisted hand and your thumb. Hold your hand as you would in a "thumbs up" symbol, place the base on your bent forefinger, and rest your thumb over the base, keeping the glass snug between your thumb and the rest of your hand. This position is good for swirling the wine, which enhances its flavor by helping it breathe. But if you're the one doing the entertaining, make sure, before you exhibit how you hold your glass, you choose the right one depending on the wine that's going in it.