Are you really supposed to wash your wineglasses without soap?
Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. And don't worry, I'm no wine snob—you can also ask me those "dumb questions" you're too embarrased to ask your wine geek friends! I hope you find my answers educational, empowering and even amusing. And don't forget to check out my most asked questions and my full archives for all my Q&A classics.
Dear Dr. Vinny,
I’ve seen the advice on never washing a decanter with soap. Does the same apply to all of your wineglasses as well?
—Jeff, via the Internet
Dear Jeff,
I’ve covered the basics of the care of wineglasses pretty thoroughly before, and yes, it really is best to avoid the use of soap as much as possible. As you can imagine, it can affect the flavor of a wine, and the residue can interfere with the formation of bubbles in a sparkling wine.
Ideally, you’d just use lots of hot water to keep your glasses clean. If you have stains inside your wineglasses, there are products to try—my favorites are squeaky foam brushes, those sponges that have the words “magic” and “eraser” in them, and baking soda, along with all that hot water. If I’m dealing with greasy fingerprints on the outside of the glass, I’ll use the tiniest bit of soap, but make sure to not get it inside the glass. And rinse, rinse, rinse.
—Dr. Vinny