A wine glass is a stemmed glass shaped to serve and appreciate wine — the bowl holding the wine, the stem keeping the hand’s warmth from it, the foot steadying it. Shapes vary by wine: large, rounded bowls for reds to aerate and concentrate aroma; smaller, narrower bowls for whites to keep them cool; flutes for sparkling wine to preserve bubbles. The rim is usually tapered inward to direct aromas to the nose, since much of wine’s flavour is smell. Fine glasses are thin and clear to show colour. While connoisseurs debate shapes endlessly, the essentials are simple: enough room to swirl, a shape that gathers aroma, and cleanliness — detergent residue ruins wine faster than the wrong shape.