---
slug: how_to_hold_a_wine_glass
category_path: home_kitchen/kitchen_dining/dining_entertaining/glassware_drinkware/wine_glasses
type: informational
title: "How to Hold a Wine Glass"
lead: "Hold a wine glass by the stem, not the bowl — pinch the stem low between your thumb and first two fingers, or steady it by the foot. Gripping the stem keeps your hand's warmth off the wine and leaves the bowl clear of fingerprints so you can see the colour."
recommendation:
  name: "Hold the stem low between thumb and two fingers — never cup the bowl"
  reason: "There is a practical reason wine is served in stemmed glasses: the stem is a handle that keeps your hand away from the wine. Pinch the stem near the bottom, close to the foot, between your thumb and first one or two fingers — this gives good control and a steady glass. The point is to keep your palm off the bowl, because body heat quickly warms a chilled white or sparkling wine, and fingers leave smudges that hide the wine's colour and clarity. Hold it low rather than high for balance and so the glass looks elegant. To swirl and release the aroma, either keep the foot on the table and move it in small circles, or make small circles from the wrist once you're confident. Stemless glasses have no handle, so hold them near the base, accept that they warm faster, and cradle them by the very bottom when you want the wine to stay cold. For a formal tasting, holding by the foot — thumb on top, fingers underneath — keeps the bowl completely clear."
published: 2026-07-09
updated: 2026-07-10
---


<ComparisonTable
  columns={["Part", "Do", "Why"]}
  rows={[
    ["Stem", "Pinch it low, thumb + one or two fingers", "Control without warming the wine"],
    ["Not the bowl", "Keep your palm off the bowl", "Body heat warms wine; fingers smudge it"],
    ["Stemless", "Hold near the base, or cradle the bottom", "No handle, so it warms faster"],
    ["Swirl", "Small circles, foot on the table", "Releases aroma without spills"],
  ]}
/>