Whether you’ve always had a nose for a good red or a thing for a sparkling on a hot day, wine appreciation comes in all shapes and forms. During Hunter Valley girls weekends and Margaret River mini-breaks, you gather tips, tricks – what drops go best with your favourite dishes, which vintage really tickles your fancy. And then comes the glassware. When you start to covet a coupe for your sparkling and simply must have big, bold Bordeauxs for your heavy reds, you’ve reached a new level of appreciation that has our respect. Why? Because wine glasses can take your wine experience to a whole new level and good glassware, well, it just adds that special touch.

If you’ve ever walked through the David Jones glassware section, you’ll know there’s a lot of glassware options out there. Good news is, we’ve got a few tips from Italian glassware gurus Luigi Bormioli and Aussie wine bloggers the Wine Wankers to take your wine appreciation up a notch:

• Thin glasses allow a better introduction of the wine to your mouth (clunky-chunky glasses are a big no-no) – Luigi Bormioli recommends the Regency Riesling, RRP $79.95 available at David Jones 
• A stem enables you to swoosh the wine around to release the aroma, and stops the heat from your fingers warming up the wine whereas stemless glasses are great for picnics! For the perfect picnic glass Luigi Bormioli recommends the Regency Stemless, RRP $59.95, available at David Jones
• The ideal glass will taper in towards the top so when you swirl, the wine won’t go everywhere. The wine’s aroma will also be directed to the one spot where you smell. 
• Bigger wine glasses are perfect for robust, fuller flavoured red wines. These allow a greater surface area of your wine to come into contact with air, which emphasises a wine’s aroma. For a big bold red Luigi Bormioli recommends Palace Red Wine, RRP $74.95, available at David Jones
• A tall flute helps preserve sparkling wine bubbles for a greater length of time. Luigi Bormioli recommends the Canaletto Champagne flute, RRP $69.95 available at Myer  
• Drinking expensive Champagne? Try serving it in a red wine glass. This will showcase the aromas often found in more expensive bubbles better. Luigi Bormioli recommends the Diamante Chianti, $79.95 available at David Jones 
• White wines are sometimes served in smaller glasses as this helps preserve delicate floral aromas while maintaining the wine’s temperature. Luigi Bormioli recommends Diamante Riesling, RRP $79.95, available at David Jones,
• Chardonnay glasses are sometimes larger, and that’s because the aromas are bigger – more robust. Luigi Bormioli recommends Palace White Wine, RRP $74.95, available at David Jones

Whether you’re popping open celebratory bubbles with the girls or airing a special bottle for dinner, let it shine extra bright with just the right glass.