Dining Guide / Table Setting
Holding a Glass
Hold a stemmed glass by its stem. Your hand won’t warm the wine, and the bowl stays free of fingerprints.
Key Points
- Hold a wine glass or other stemmed glass around the middle of the stem, between your thumb, index, and middle fingers.
- Holding the stem keeps your hand from warming the wine and leaves no fingerprints on the bowl, so you can enjoy its color and aroma.
- A tumbler or other glass without a stem can simply be held near its base as usual.
- Dab your lips with your napkin before you sip, and the rim of your glass stays clean.
- For a formal toast, raise your glass to about eye level and make eye contact. Fine, thin glasses chip easily, so they usually aren’t clinked.
Do
- Hold the middle of the stem with your fingertips
- Dab your lips with your napkin before sipping
- Raise your glass to eye level for a toast
Avoid
- Grabbing a stemmed glass by the bowl
- Clinking fine glasses hard
- Lifting your glass while it’s being poured
Handy Tip
Sip from the same spot on the rim each time. Any mark stays in one place and the glass looks tidy.
Customs That Vary
At casual restaurants and relaxed gatherings, many people hold the bowl, and that’s perfectly fine. Glasses are often clinked lightly in a toast, too — follow the host and those around you.