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There's little room left on the table when sommelier Gon Leung at Cepage restaurant in Hong Kong lays out the nine kinds of wine glasses in his inventory. The stemware is made from a blend of crystal and glass—100% crystal goblets are considered more valuable by some, but they are also quite heavy.
For Mr. Leung, making proper stemware is all about mastering geometry—the angles and lines of the goblet determine how the wine develops as it sits inside the glass, and it can influence the way the wine pours onto the tongue, which in turn can affect taste.
'Your sweet receptors are at the tip of your tongue; bitterness is detected at the back of your throat; and the sides pick up the acidity,' explains Mr. Leung, adding that goblets are not only for holding wine, but are an essential 'ingredient' in its enjoyment. Here's his advice on what kind of wine to pour in what glass.
A side note: When pouring wine, stop at just below the 'belly' — the widest part of the glass, says Mr. Leung. 'The smaller the pour, the better.' More room in the glass means it 'breathes' better, too.
Young Champagne glass: The long shape of the flute minimizes surface area and helps preserve the bubbles longer.
Grand Champagne glass: Meant for older vintages of Champagne, the slightly larger glass gently 'decants' the Champagne and lets it breathe.
Standard white-wine glass: Use this for lighter white wines, such as Riesling, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, which all emit fresh and fruity aromas. The bouquet, though fragrant, can dissipate quickly, so the tall 'nose'—the distance from the widest part of the glass to the rim—acts as a highway that directs the scents out of the glass straight to your nose as you tip the goblet toward you.
Chardonnay glass: Chardonnay, a more complex and stronger-tasting white wine, needs a wide bowl-shaped glass so it can mellow and the air can circulate. Viognier, also a heavier-tasting white wine, is better served in this kind of goblet.
Young Burgundy glass: This glass was made for Pinot Noir. The slightly larger shape and diameter—compared with a white-wine glass—allows the tannins in the red wine to breathe, which softens its acidity so it is easier to swallow. To preserve the gentler aromas of the Pinot Noir, the glass has a wider belly, which traps the air inside.
Old Burgundy glass: The slightly taller nose of this glass keeps the aromas trapped in or 'protected' for a little longer, as older Burgundies are more fragile and less 'lively.'
Young Bordeaux glass: Cabernet Sauvignon (a main grape used in Bordeaux) is high in tannins. The larger glass bowl, by providing more air for the wine to breathe, softens them. Help it along by swirling your glass.
Old Bordeaux glass: A bigger glass is perfect for older reds that need to be 'woken up after a long sleep,' says Mr. Leung. This glass is also perfect for a Shiraz, which is less fruity than some other kinds of red wine and has heavy spice aromas.
Dessert wine glass: The outward bend of the lip directs the wine to the tip of the tongue, where the sweet receptors are, so accentuating the wine's sweetness, says Mr. Leung.
参考译文：
香港Cepage餐厅的侍酒师梁志恒（Gon Leung）把店里的九种葡萄酒杯摆上了桌面，把一张桌子摆了个满满登登。这些高脚杯子都是水晶和玻璃的混合体——有些人觉得纯用水晶制作的杯子更有价值，不过，那样的杯子实在是十分沉重。
在梁志恒看来，制作上乘高脚杯的秘诀全都逃不出几何学的范围——杯子的角度和线条决定了杯中葡萄酒的挥发方式，还会对葡萄酒接触舌头的方式造成影响，进而影响葡萄酒的味道。
梁志恒解释说，接收甜味的味蕾位于舌尖，接收苦味和酸味的味蕾则分别位于舌根和舌头两侧。他补充说，高脚杯不仅是盛酒的器皿，还是品酒过程当中一个不可或缺的“组成部分”。哪种葡萄酒该配哪种酒杯，以下就是他的建议。
小提示：梁志恒说，倒酒的时候，满到“杯肚”——也就是是杯身最宽的那个地方——下沿就得停手。杯里的酒越少越好，因为杯子里剩余的空间越大，葡萄酒的“呼吸”也就越顺畅。
小香槟酒杯（Young Champagne glass）：这种杯子形状细长，把酒与空气接触的面积减到了最小，由此就可以延长气泡停留的时间。
大香槟酒杯（Grand Champagne glass）：这种杯子比小香槟酒杯大一点儿，适合年份较长的香槟酒。你可以用它来轻轻“摇荡”杯里的酒，让酒香散发出来。
标准白葡萄酒杯（Standard white-wine glass）：这种杯子适合那些口味比较清淡的白葡萄酒，它们都散发着清新的果香，比如雷司令（Riesling）、灰皮诺（Pinot Grigio）和长相思（Sauvignon Blanc）。这些酒的香味虽然浓郁，但却很容易消散。在你举杯欲饮的时候，长长的“杯鼻”——也就是“杯肚”到杯子边沿的那一部分——就好比是一条大路，可以将杯子里的酒香直接导入你的鼻子。
霞多丽葡萄酒杯（Chardonnay glass）：霞多丽白葡萄酒（Chardonnay）拥有更加复杂浓郁的味道，因此就需要我们用上这种大口的碗形酒杯，这样才能促进空气回圈、让酒味变得醇和。维欧尼白葡萄酒（Viognier）的味道也比较重，适合它的器皿也是这种杯子。
小勃艮第酒杯（Young Burgundy glass）：这种杯子之所以问世，是为了满足人们饮用黑皮诺红酒（Pinot Noir）的需要。它比白葡萄酒杯稍微大一点儿，可以让红酒当中的单宁酸更快挥发，由此就可以减低红酒的酸度，使它更容易下口。因为黑皮诺的香气不太浓郁，这种杯子就拥有一个较为宽阔的“杯肚”，作用是留住杯里的空气、更好地保存酒香。
大勃艮第酒杯（Old Burgundy glass）：这种杯子的“杯鼻”比小勃艮第酒杯长一点儿，杯里的酒香也就可以停留得长一点儿，因为陈年的勃艮第葡萄酒（Burgundy）比较脆弱，不那么“活泼”。
小波尔多酒杯（Young Bordeaux glass）：赤霞珠葡萄（Cabernet Sauvignon，多数波尔多葡萄酒都是用这种葡萄酿制的）富含单宁酸。这种碗形酒杯比较大，为赤霞珠葡萄酒提供了更大的挥发空间，有助于酒的软化。你还可以晃动酒杯，进一步加快酒的软化。
大波尔多酒杯（Old Bordeaux glass）：梁志恒说，大杯子最适合那些年份较长的红酒，因为它们需要“从漫长的沉睡当中醒来”。这种杯子跟西拉红酒（Shiraz）也是绝配，因为西拉红酒跟其他一些红酒不同，果香不那么浓郁，反而具有一种辛辣刺鼻的香气。
甜酒杯（Dessert wine glass）：梁志恒说，这种杯子的杯口往外翻，因此就可以把酒液导向甜味味蕾所在的舌尖，让人充分体验酒的甜味。
