Champagne is one of those drinks that are always present at parties, events, and social gatherings. If you find yourself attending these events, then you will also find yourself with a drink in your hand. But how does one hold a champagne glass correctly?
Generally, there are four ways you can hold a champagne glass: by the stem, by the rim, by the bowl, and by the base. Additionally, different styles of champagne glasses might also call for varied methods of holding.
Of course, you are not required to strictly follow these champagne glass-holding methods. It’s not a totally ride-or-die situation and you should choose to hold your champagne glass in a way that makes you comfortable.
Below, we’ll go over all the ways you can hold a champagne glass correctly. We’ll also go over the different types of champagne glasses and the recommended ways of holding them.
The Importance of Holding a Champagne Glass Properly
Before we get into all the methods of holding your champagne glass, why should anyone care about it?
It’s essential to get this out there: We believe no one should be judged or made fun of for the way they hold their champagne glasses. But what we will dig into below are general suggestions on how you can help your champagne taste better and appeal more visually.
Understanding why you should care about the correct form when handling a champagne glass is also important.
It’s not only a matter of etiquette or appearing sophisticated. The way one holds a champagne glass also has direct effects on the taste and experience.
Champagne is a sparkling wine, which means that the bubbles and carbonation of the drink greatly affect the taste and drinking experience. Temperature regulation plays a huge role in preserving a champagne’s frizz and bubbles. And the way you hold the glass can directly affect the temperature of the champagne.
Improper handling of the champagne glass can quickly warm up the drink and get rid of the frizz, lowering the quality of the champagne.
Additionally, you don’t want unsightly smudges on pristine champagne glasses that only ruin the champagne’s aesthetic and visual appeal
And lastly, champagne is liquid and like any liquid, is at risk of spillage. Holding your champagne glass properly will prevent any spillage of the tasty champagne inside.
How to Hold a Champagne Glass
Now that we’ve got all the whys out of the way, let’s dive deep into all the ways you can hold a special champagne glass or a regular white wine glass:
- Most Recommended Method: By the Stem
Holding a champagne glass by the stem is the most common way you can see people do it at parties and events. To do this correctly, place your forefinger and thumb on the stem about ½” below the bowl of the glass.
Avoiding holding the bowl while drinking champagne as much as possible will prevent any heat transfer that can affect the champagne’s bubbles and carbonation.
As for the remaining fingers, let them relax on the stem or base of the glass. These fingers offer stability, but you’re really holding it with your thumb and forefinger.
- Also an Acceptable Method: By the Base
Another common method is by holding your champagne glass by the foot or the base. The foot of a champagne glass is meant to give it a strong foundation and stability so it makes sense that many people prefer to hold them by the base.
This method also makes sense if you want to keep the heat from your hands away from the champagne as much as possible, preserving its taste and bubbles.
To do this, place your thumb on top of the foot and the rest of your fingers at the bottom of the foot. Alternatively, you can pinch the stem of the base between your thumb and forefinger with the rest of your fingers at the bottom of the base.
This holding method works best for slimmer glasses like a flute or tulip glass, but not so much for coupe glasses with a wider bowl as it can increase the risk of spillage.
It’s also important to remember that holding your champagne glass this way could make it hard to put down your glass without having to use your other hand.
- An Uncommon Method: By the Bowl
While you can hold your champagne glass by its bowl, this is generally not a recommended technique as it easily transfers warmth from your hands to the champagne, leading to carbonation loss.
The only exception to this is when your drink is truly cold and you would rather warm it down with the heat from your hands – though this is not very common.
To do this, simply place your fingers gingerly on the bottom of the bowl of the glass.
- Generally Not Recommended: By the Rim
Champagne glasses are never filled all the way to the top. This makes it possible for you to hold your champagne glass by the rim.
This technique works best for a champagne coupe, as it has a wider rim.
To hold your champagne glass by the rim, place your thumb and two index fingers on the rim of the glass. Your two remaining fingers can be on the side of the champagne glass, giving your grip even more stability.
But if you want a more secure hold, you can surround the glass with all your fingers, given that they don’t warm up the insides of the glass.
Because champagne glasses aren’t filled all the way to the top, this method will not accidentally warm up your drink. It will, however, cause unsightly smudges on your glass.
Types of Champagne Glasses
While talking about the different methods of holding a champagne glass, we’ve briefly mentioned the different types of champagne glassware. Even if you find yourself gravitating towards using wine glasses instead, it’s still good to familiarize yourself with champagne glass types more:
Flute Glass
Champagne flutes are the most popular and most common champagne glass you can see at parties, events, and gatherings. Flutes are slender glasses featuring a long, thin stem and a tall, narrow bowl.
Other than looking aesthetically pleasing, champagne flutes are also great at preserving the champagne’s carbonation, keeping it tasting the way it’s intended to taste.
Coupe Glass (or Champagne Saucer)
The coupe glass, or champagne saucer, is the traditional and original champagne glass so this evokes classic elegance.
This features a short stem and a broader bowl. Coupe glasses are great at bringing out a champagne’s full flavor and aroma profile, allowing you to enjoy your drink to the fullest.
Tulip Glass
Lastly, there’s the tulip champagne glass, which is a cross between the flute and coupe glasses.
The tulip glass, like the champagne flute, features a long stem and long bowl and like the coupe glass, this has a wider bowl than your typical flute.
Its unique shape with a wider bowl but a narrower mouth is specifically designed to capture and preserve the champagne’s aroma and bubbles for the complete drinking experience.
How to Hold a Champagne Flute?
The best way to hold a champagne flute is by the stem or by the base. These two methods allow you to keep the warmth of your hands away from the champagne while also giving your glass a stable hold to prevent spilling.
How to Hold a Coupe Glass?
For coupe glasses, you can either hold them by the stem or by the rim. Holding the glass by the base could be risky because of its top-heavy structure. Holding onto it by the base can cause a greater risk of spilling your drink.
How to Hold a Tulip Glass?
You can hold your tulip glass by the stem or by the base, just like how you would hold champagne flutes. This keeps your hands away from the base of the glasses, preserving the aroma and bubbles for the best drinking experience.
Conclusion
Everybody wants to have a drink in their hand when they’re at parties, events, or social gatherings. It’s a great way to socialize while also enjoying yourself, but how do you hold a champagne glass elegantly?
There are four ways one can hold a champagne glass: by the stem, by the rim, by the bowl, and by the base. Some ways are more recommended than others not only for aesthetic purposes but also for preserving the taste and carbonation of the champagne. Moreover, different types of champagne glasses call for different ways of holding them not only to preserve the champagne’s quality but also to prevent spillage.
And that has been our detailed guide on how to hold a champagne glass. If you have more questions for us, be sure to reach out to us below!
