Hand Holding Wine Glass Drawing

Enjoying a chilled glass of rosé while basking in the late afternoon sun is one of the greatest pleasures as spring and summer roll in, but it wouldn't be the same served warm. (Most wines, in fact, are best served below 65 degrees Fahrenheit, much lower than room temperature, hence why some add ice to their wine.) So why are so many of us tampering with the precious serving temperature once the vino's in its serving vessel?

It's because we're unaware of the mistake we're making, writes Anthony Giglio, the resident Wine Wise Guy at Food & Wine. Here's how to hold a wine glass the right way. N

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Do you hold wine glasses at the stem or bowl?

If you've never thought about the shape of a wine glass—a thin stem supporting a tall, curved glass—you might be surprised to learn how much its design affects its contents.

"There's a rod of glass between the base and the bowl of a wine glass for several reasons, and the absolute most important of those is to keep your 98.6-degree hand away from your properly chilled wine," writes Giglio.

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You can hold stemless glasses by the base like you would a normal glass, but stemmed glasses should be held by the stem. Hold it towards the base, using your thumb, index finger, and middle finger and allowing your other fingers to rest on the base. Another option is to make a loose fist and balance the base on your index finger, using your thumb as a lever to hold it in place. (Need a visual? This guide from Wine Folly helps.)

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How should you not hold a wine glass?

There are quite a few mistakes you can make when it comes to holding a glass of wine. Giglio lays out three of the most common fouls people make that could lead to lukewarm wine.

The first is grasping the bottom of the bowl with your whole hand in what he called a "Housewives" hold, a nod to the Bravo franchise. That means no cupping the bowl of your Bordeaux glass or gripping the top of a champagne flute, warns Giglio—he doesn't care if you've seen any Real Housewives stars doing otherwise.

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You also want to avoid holding the glass like it's a beer by cupping only the top of the glass. This is a sure-fire way for a warm sip of vino. Finally, although you might think it looks classy, holding the glass by sliding the stem between your middle and ring finger and cradling the bowl will still cause the contents of your glass to warm.

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Erin Cavoto Erin Cavoto is the Editorial Assistant at ThePioneerWoman.com, covering food, holidays, home decor, and more.

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