OK this is what I learned at a recent wine tasting. The tasting, incidentally, concentrated on the effect of the glass on taste rather than the beverage.

Couple of general rules: the colder the beverage, the more closed the glass should be. Sparkling wine is generally consumed at around 6 degrees.

However, there's a different type of glass for sparkling wine and champagne. The champagne glass should be a little wider, closer in shape to a white wine glass than a traditional 'flute'. Incidentally, you'll find that the opening of a white wine glass and a champagne flute is similar in diameter.

A narrow glass wil deliver the beverage closer to the rear of the tongue. A wide glass (like a red wine glass) will deliver the liquid closer to the front of the tongue.

The wider the body of the glass, the more the bouquet can develop. Some champagnes, particularly older ones, will benefit form opening the bouquet up. And since champagnes are not decanted, the best way to open up the flavours is in a wider glass.

As an aside, I participated in wine tasting at Berlucci Cellars. They served their (bottle fermented) sparkling wine in white wine glasses too.

Try this at home: take your favourite wine (red, white, champagne, doesn't really matter), and try it from a red wine glass, a white wine glass and a champagne flute. You'll be amazed at how different it tastes out of different glasses. Simply because the way the bouquet develops (depends on the width of the glass' bowl) and where on your tongue it is delivered (depends on the diameter of the rim).

NG1Fan