There Are Only 3 'Right' Ways to Hold a Wineglass, According to Sommeliers

Perhaps you collect highly allocated bottles in your wine cellar or buy wines by the label (hey, that’s okay!). Maybe you’re popping open a coveted bottle of Krug you’ve been saving for years, or instead, you’re uncorking a budget-friendly option your local natural wine shop recommended earlier today.

Regardless of the vintage, varietal, or how well-versed you are in wine, the same sentiment holds true: how you hold a wineglass can make or break your overall experience. (Not to mention, if you’re holding a wineglass wrong, you might be committing a minor etiquette “oops.”)

To ensure you’re fully equipped to sip like a sommelier, we asked wine experts from coast to coast to spill about how to hold a wineglass—with or without a stem.

Why It Matters How You Hold a Wineglass

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Holding a wineglass properly isn’t just about looking elegant, although it is a nice perk, admits Reuben Lirio, general manager at the Vestry in The Dominick Hotel in New York City.

“It’s about respecting the wine. Holding a wineglass incorrectly can warm up the wine too quickly. You could be compromising what’s in the glass before it even reaches your lips,” Lirio says

Beyond preserving the ideal temperature of the wine to allow for maximum aromatic expression, our panel of wine professionals count these as the biggest benefits of holding a wineglass properly:

• It enhances control while swirling. “A proper hold allows for graceful movement that enhances aeration without risking spillage,” says Laura Turenne, wine manager at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Once you’re employing one of the expert-approved holds below, “take the opportunity to get a big round swirl in the glass to open the wine up and a nice big sniff of the many aromas,” suggests Lauren Bryant, level 1 sommelier and general manager at CBD Provisions in The Joule Hotel in Dallas, Texas.
• It promotes mindful sipping. Instead of grasping it absentmindedly, “when you hold your glass with intention, you're more likely to engage with the wine fully,” Lirio explains.
• It limits or prevents smudges. Clear glass showcases a wine’s hue and clarity in its full glory, both of which are best appreciated sans fingerprints, Turenne notes.
• It enhances the overall aesthetic. Holding a wineglass with care looks poised and polished, which can be helpful in both social and business settings. Mastering how to hold a wineglass “adds an air of confidence and sophistication—yes, even at Tuesday night book club,” says Jenna Bice, founder and owner of Laurel Haven Estate Vineyard and Winery in Lancaster, South Carolina.

The 3 Best Ways to Hold a Wineglass

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There are a few refined options for how to hold a wineglass, so you can choose which feels most natural to you, Lirio says.

• The pinch hold: Gently pinch near the middle of the stem using your thumb and pointer finger (and maybe your middle finger). Allow the rest of your fingers to naturally rest below. This is ideal for beginners and exudes “graceful and minimal.”
• The lower stem lift: Use your thumb, pointer finger, and middle finger to pinch the lower portion of the stem, just above the base. Slightly curl your ring and pinky finger. You’re giving “slightly more modern, yet still elegant.”
• The base balance: With your thumb on top and pointer and middle fingers below, pinch the base (the flat, bottom part of the wineglass that runs perpendicular to the stem). This can take some practice, but allows for delicate swirling to release a wine’s bouquet. It evokes “this is not my first wine rodeo.”

If you forget the exact instructions above, just remember this pointer from Lirio: “As long as you're holding the stem, you're doing it right.”

How Sommeliers Hold Their Wineglasses

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When we polled our somms about how they sip, they almost all admitted that they stick with the lower stem lift.

For Vanessa Price, wine director at Wildflower Farms, Auberge Resorts Collection in Gardiner, New York, “This is easier to hold onto, especially when balancing a mini plate for something else I’m trying to hold. There is no one correct way within this world, though; it’s just whatever feels most comfortable to you.”

Feel free to mix things up, if you like: “I’ll pinch the base of the stem at dinner; it is the simplest way to pick up the glass, and sometimes I cheat and use the table to swirl my wine,” Bryant admits. “When I’m drinking wine at home, you’ll find me holding the glass at the center of the stem. I often multitask while cooking, taking a bubble bath, or reading a book, so I need a firmer grip on my glass.”

The Worst Way to Hold a Wineglass

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“Please—whatever you do—don’t grab it by the bowl like it's a coffee mug,” Bice begs. “Not only does it smudge the glass and warm the wine, but it also throws off the whole aesthetic. It’s like wearing flip-flops to a black-tie event.”

While far less of faux pas, holding a stemmed wineglass near the rim or using a full fist on the stem (in other words, not tucking your pinky and ring finger in) are other common missteps, Turenne says. Both appear awkward and may draw undue attention to your hands.

The final potential foible: The pinky-up pose. According to Lirio, “this just screams ‘trying too hard.’”

Of course, if you aren’t too concerned about altering the temperature or aroma of your wine and despise all of the grips above, then hold the glass however you like…“Ultimately, wine is all about pleasure,” Price says.

How to Hold a Stemless Wineglass

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Before we send you on your way to pour, sip, and swirl like the ace you are, we couldn’t resist asking the experts what to do if we attend a gathering that involves stemless wineglasses.

This presents a challenge, but you have two decent options. Either way, use your fingertips only, rather than a vice grip or your palm, to reduce the heat transfer, the sommeliers advise.

• Hold above the wine line: If you can keep your fingertips above the wine, you won’t warm it, says Gavin Humes, the Moorpark, California-based CEO of Scratch Restaurants Group. Since a proper pour is less than half of a glass, you should have plenty of room for your thumb on one side and pointer and middle finger on the other.
• Hold lightly near the bottom of the glass: Position your thumb on one side and two fingers on the opposite, near the base of the glass. Support the bottom of the glass with your ring finger if necessary.