Introducing the Wine Whisperer—and the only three wine glasses you’ll ever need

Tell me if this sounds familiar: You love a good glass of wine—whether you’re out with your tribe or cooking a family dinner at home. But when people start dropping words like “fine effervescence” and “mineral laden,” you just kinda nod along.

Well, we’ve got the remedy: Sip Charlotte’s new “Wine Whisperer” series with Laura Maniec, co-founder and CEO of Corkbuzz. The wine bar, which originated in New York City, has a Charlotte location in SouthPark, near the Whole Foods, and serves up fine wine and education for everyone from the novice to the aspiring sommelier.

View More: http://cassbradley.pass.us/sipPhotos: BlueSky by Cass Bradley

The NYC location was just nominated for a James Beard Award for outstanding wine service, so 36-year-old Maniec—one of only a few dozen female Master Sommeliers in the world—has been busy. But she still took the time to go back to the basics with us. The way way back—everything from what wine glasses you should own to how to (actually) read a wine label, from how to order wine at a restaurant to how to buy top-notch wine at a better price.

For our first installment: These are the only three wine glasses you’ll ever need.

1. ALL-PURPOSE WHITE-WINE GLASS
   
   Alternate names: a “Sauvignon Blanc glass” or a “Riesling glass.”
   
   What they look like: Smaller than a red-wine glass and without a wide mouth.
   
   Ideal for: All white wines.
   
   Why this shape? Usually, white wine is more delicate, Maniec says; they don’t need as much space to open up. “White wines don’t need larger glasses to express their nuanced flavors,” she says.
   
   Ideal serving size: 6 ounces.

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2. CABERNET/BOURDEAUX RED-WINE GLASS: 

What they look like: Similar to the white-wine glass, but a little bigger and deeper.

This story was originally published February 16, 2017 at 7:50 AM with the headline "Introducing the Wine Whisperer—and the only three wine glasses you’ll ever need."