You and your doctor may have different opinions on what constitutes a full pour when it comes to wine, but we’ll leave that between you two. One thing that is certain is that large wine glasses are a lot larger than they used to be. Seriously, researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered that wine glasses are seven times as big as they were 300 years ago.
The scientists involved in the study examined and measured 411 different wine glasses from the 1700’s to present day. The researchers set 1700 as the beginning of their timeline as glasses became common for wine consumption around that time. They determined that the wine glasses from the 1700’s could hold an average of 66 milliliters of wine while wine glasses from the 2000’s can accommodate around 417 milliliters. Glasses from 2016 and 2017 are the largest yet, and can hold an average of 449 milliliters. The increase in volume was relatively steady, until a rapid swell that began in the 1990’s.
The researchers postulated a number of causes for an increase in wine glass size. “Increases in wine glass size over time may reflect changes in several factors including price, technology, societal wealth, and wine appreciation,” according to the study. For instance, in the late 1800’s automated production began to replace conventional mouth blowing methods. Furthermore, during the 20th century wine glasses started to be manufactured in different shapes and sizes to enhance the character of specific varietals to address a growing market for wine.
It’s difficult to imagine drinking wine from a glass that is seven times smaller than what you’re used to. You’d definitely think you were getting ripped off at the wine bar!
