Every wine drinker has their own preference for what wine they like to drink. You should also develop a preference for your wine glasses. Because, believe it or not, the glass you drink from plays a major role in your overall satisfaction with the wine.

Red wine glasses are different than white wine glasses. While a red wine glass resembles an egg, a white wine glass will be thinner more resemble a tulip.

A white wine glass has a smaller opening. This is essential to your flavor and enjoyment. It allows for less aeration, or breathing. Since white wine is usually enjoyed server colder than red, this keeps the temperature cooler, longer. And, since the “bowl” of the glass is smaller, less hand-to-glass contact occurs, also preserving the temperature.

On the other hand, the red wine glass has a larger opening and a larger bowl. You’ll want to drink your red wine at a slightly warmer temperature. The increased aeration accomplishes this, and having more hand-to-glass contact won’t hurt the flavor.

Going smaller yet, we get into champagne glasses. Champagne is actually wine that has been processed differently to obtain the carbonation and sweetness. The glass, or “flute,” that you’ll drink champagne out of is even thinner than the white wine glass, and has a smaller opening. This allows it to remain chilled longer and retains the carbonation better.

So, the next time you go out to buy wine glasses, remember, they’re not only nice to look at, they’re functional as well.