How to Hold a Champagne Glass

Why does properly holding your Champagne glass matter? Temperature! The warmth from your fingers will warm your wine, and you want to enjoy your Champagne chilled. The proper temperature for drinking Champagne is between 46°F and 54°F, depending on the type of Champagne. If your fingers warm the wine too much, the Champagne simply won’t taste as delicious, and the bubbles can disappear more quickly. When you’re drinking one of the best Champagne brands, you definitely don’t want to warm up your Champagne unintentionally. 

Here, I’ll share the different ways of properly holding a Champagne glass so you can enjoy your bubbles until the last drop. 

How to Hold a Champagne Glass

No matter whether you’re using a tulip glass, flute, coupe glass, or regular wine glass, there are two proper ways to hold a Champagne glass, and one I don’t recommend. But first, a lesson in the proper type of glass for Champagne. All wine glasses have a base, stem, and bowl. There are three main types of Champagne glasses — coupes, flutes, and tulip glasses — and the shape is important. Each glass shape impacts the flavor of your Champagne, as well as the bubbles. 

Coupe glasses have wider bowls and short stems. While these are cute glasses, bubbles dissipate more quickly in a coupe than they do in flutes or tulip glasses. In addition, coupes have wide openings, so the aromas aren’t concentrated. This means you won’t smell as much of the complex notes of the finest Champagnes, and that is why I recommend coupes for cocktails instead of wine. 

Champagne flutes have long, narrow bowls. The narrow shape of a flute is great for preserving bubbles, but the narrow opening makes it more difficult to smell the aromas. Smelling the aromas is an important part of tasting wine, which is why I don’t recommend flute glasses for aged Champagnes and sparkling wines. However, flutes are a great choice for Prosecco. It’s a shame that flutes are ubiquitous in restaurants and at events for Champagne. There’s an easy solution, though; simply ask the server for a white wine glass, and you’ll be able to enjoy all of the aromas and flavors. 

A tulip glass is perfectly designed for all types of Champagne. It has a tapered base, a wider bowl, and a narrow top. This shape preserves the bubbles and allows enough oxygen so the wine aromas can develop, and the narrow top captures them. You will be able to savor all the complexity and delicious aromas of the Champagne. 

By the Stem

Holding a Champagne glass by the stem is my recommended way of holding your drink. Simply pinch the stem between three fingers. Your fingers rest on the stem, you’ll have a secure grasp on your glass, and your fingers will stay far away from the chilled Champagne. This means your Champagne will stay cold for longer, which is the point of holding a Champagne glass properly. 

By the Base

Some people prefer to hold a Champagne glass by the base of the glass. As with holding it by the stem, this method keeps your Champagne cold because your fingers aren’t touching the bowl containing the Champagne, but I don’t find it to be as secure as holding your glass by the stem. It does, however, look quite fancy, so feel free to hold your glass by the base if you prefer.

Place your thumb on top of the base and your other fingers on the bottom. This will give you the best possible grip while you are holding the glass. If you’re in a crowded space where people might bump into you, it’s best to hold it by the stem, which is more secure. Another time when you might want to hold your glass by the base is if you’re drinking from one of the coupe styles — not a tulip glass or flute — since coupes tend to have shorter stems. 

By the Bowl

Most people hold their Champagne and wine glasses by the bowl, which is the quickest way to unintentionally warm your wine. Over time, your fingers will gradually heat the liquid, and warm Champagne does not taste as good. Holding your glass by the bowl also leaves fingerprints all over the glass, which is another reason why I don’t recommend holding your glass by the bowl. 

The only exception? If your Champagne is a bit too cold, you can wrap your hands around the bowl for a minute or so to warm it up slightly, but that’s not a great way to drink your Champagne all night. 

While Pouring

In proper wine service, a sommelier will pour Champagne into a vertical glass, not tipped at an angle. This is considered the proper way to pour Champagne. However, if you’re drinking an aged Champagne, you can make an exception and tip the Champagne glass to the side. Why? Scientific experiments have proven that Champagne keeps more of its bubbles when a glass is tilted to the side. This doesn’t make a difference in non-vintage or newer vintage Champagnes, which have plenty of bubbles. Aged Champagnes, on the other hand, lose bubbles with time, so it can make a noticeable difference when enjoying much older vintages. If you’re serving Champagne at home, you can pour it either way. 

Another factor to consider is the amount of Champagne you’re pouring in each glass. The bubbles dissipate more quickly in the glass than they do in the bottle, so it’s a good idea to pour smaller glasses and refill more frequently than it is to pour a large glass that will go flat more quickly. Flat Champagne is not very enjoyable, and it’s a shame to waste such a wonderful wine. 

Be sure to keep your Champagne chilled, either in an ice bucket or in the refrigerator. You can keep the bottle open while you’re pouring it for an hour or two — if it lasts that long. There’s no need to close it between pours. In fact, that can make the bubbles disappear more quickly. If you don’t finish the bottle, I recommend using Coravin Sparkling to keep the Champagne fresh for several weeks. In a pinch, a classic Champagne saver will do the trick for a day or two. 

Now that you know how to hold a Champagne glass properly, be sure to explore our Champagne encyclopedia to learn more about the best Champagne brands, rosé Champagne, and the best Champagnes for every occasion. If you don’t know how to open a bottle of Champagne, check out this video. Or if you want to saber a Champagne bottle, we’ve got you covered. 

Cheers! 

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