Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most popular varietal of wine, so many people have questions about how to choose the best Cabernet wine glasses. The best glasses for this varietal will help to accent its unique aroma, flavor, and visual profile. There are many different types of wine glasses, and they vary in design, function, cost, durability, and utility. What works best for you will depend on your particular preferences for drinking wine and your budget.
Cabernet is noted for its medium to full body, fruity flavors, deep red to purple color, and strong tannins. Cabernet wine glasses are designed to have wide, round bowls, which allow the wine to oxidize, or "breathe." Circulating plenty of air into your glass of Cabernet allows the wine to open up, which will smooth out its flavor. It also helps to counteract some of the properties derived from tannins, which can make the wine bitter.
Cabernet wine glasses are distinctive because they are often taller than other red wine glasses. This enables drinkers to better direct the flow of wine toward the back of the tongue. This is optimal for a Cabernet because it is a fruit-forward wine, and this part of the tongue is best at detecting sweetness. A well-crafted Cabernet wine glass will help you to detect flavors that are characteristic of Cabernet wines, such as black currant, plum, cherry, raspberry, and blackberry.
It is important that the Cabernet wine glasses you choose appeal to you aesthetically, because drinking wine is a sensory experience. Some people prefer crystal glasses or stemless glasses, while others prefer glasses with graceful stems or those made from thinner, more fragile glass. The finest Cabernet wine glasses are handmade, but they can be very expensive. Machine-made glasses tend to be more popular because of their functionality and affordability.
The best Cabernet wine glasses will allow the wine to achieve its maximum flavor potential, so some very serious oenophiles, or wine enthusiasts, will use a variety of Cabernet glasses. More casual wine hobbyists may find that specific Cabernet wine glasses are not essential to their enjoyment of a fine wine. As you grow in your understanding of and appreciation for wines, you may enjoy experimenting with different shapes of glasses to determine how they affect your experience.
Wine manufacturers, reviewers, and other experts can help to guide you toward the best Cabernet wine glasses for your particular tastes. This can be especially helpful because Cabernet is often blended with other red wine varietals, which creates nearly endless options for your tasting experience. For example, Cabernet blended with Shiraz grapes may be spicier and more intense than Cabernet Franc, which will taste fresher and brighter. The right Cabernet wine glass will enhance your enjoyment of the wine and add depth to your experience.
