I recently ordered a glass of wine at a local restaurant. Admittedly it wasn’t a fine dining restaurant. It was a place where you order at the counter and then you are served at your table.

When I got my glass of red wine, it was filled nearly to the top. I’m sure the young man that poured the wine meant well and wanted to ensure that I was getting a full glass. But, for me, it was a bit too full.

Having some empty space in the glass will capture the wine’s aroma. And, as was discussed in a previous blog, your sense of smell is very important to your sense of taste.

It’s usually pretty easy to figure out how much wine to pour in a glass. Just fill it to the widest part of the bowl, as shown in the image. Or, if your wine glass has nearly vertical sides, pour the glass approximately one-third full. Now this may seem like too little wine. I’ve even had friends tease me about being served too little wine. But, I always assure them that there’s more where that came from! But having that empty space in the wine glass will make a positive difference in the way your wine tastes.

There is one exception. When you are pouring sparkling wine in a flute, go right ahead and fill it. That way you’ll ensure that the flute shows off all the wonderful bubbles!

Here’s to pouring the right amount in your wine glass! Cheers!