Avoid This Common, Unspoken Etiquette Mistake When Drinking Wine In Europe

To enjoy wine, you don't have to "know" anything about it. Some people just like the taste of wine. They enjoy the aroma, the fruitiness, and how smoothly it goes down. Lighter than beer, more elegant than liquor, wine is its own genre. You can admire the sight of grape vines and aging barrels and not have the slightest idea how wine is actually made. The vast glossary of winemaking and appreciation — terroir, acidity, tannins, oxidation — could go completely over your head, and that's just fine. You might not even know the difference between vineyards and wineries, or why you'd need to know. Whatever! As long as you savor that sweet nectar of the gods, who cares if it's Château Lafite Rothschild or Franzia from a box?

But if you're spending time with true oenophiles, there's just one habit you should probably adopt: hold your wine glass by the stem. This is especially true in certain parts of Europe, where wine is a point of national pride and many youths grow up sipping wine with dinner. Rookies might find this unnatural. Why pinch this narrow shaft of glass between your fingers when you have a perfect, hand-shaped bowl? How are you supposed to carry the weight of glass and liquid with just your thumb and index finger when you could grasp it firmly in your palm? Who even comes up with these rules?

As it turns out, the stem-holding rule isn't just about looking fancy; your wine will actually taste better. When you hold the bowl, your body heat emanates through the glass. The wine warms up, affecting its flavor profile.

Like other forms of alcohol, wine changes with its environment. White wines are almost always chilled, and responsible hosts generally put unfinished bottles back in the refrigerator. Many people open a bottle of red wine and let it sit for a while, allowing it to breathe. Similarly, holding a wine glass by the stem prevents your hand from warming the wine. Most people would avoid warm beer or lukewarm hot toddies, and if you care about the wine-drinking experience, you'll have a sensitivity to its temperature.

Countries like France and Italy are famous for their wines, and many households prefer wine to other beverages. So it's no surprise that rules and rituals have evolved around wine consumption; for example, giving wine as a gift may quietly break dinner party etiquette in France, and savoring and sipping are unspoken rules tourists should know about drinking alcohol across much of Europe. You still don't have to know anything about wine to enjoy it with European friends, but holding your glass by the stem is a simple way to fit in — and preserve the intended taste of your chardonnay.

There's one more benefit to stem-holding: fingerprints. No matter how thoroughly or recently you've washed your hands, you're bound to leave greasy little marks on the bowl. These prints will only become more evident as your glass empties out. This is unsightly, even for the most pedestrian wine drinker. Just slide those fingers an inch or two down, and you're in the clear.