Fashions change, of course, and the millenia-old traditions of making and drinking wine are no exception. The traditional Champagne coupe, bowl-shaped with a wide mouth, is anecdotally modeled on the shape of Marie Antoinette's breasts. These days, most lovers of bubbly, and wine purveyors like myself, recommend the flute - a long, slender glass with relatively straight sides and a small opening at the top. I can't say I've ever heard of this being modeled on anyone's body part(s,) but ...

Recently the New York Times published a great little piece from Henry Fountain (in the Science section no less!) on why bubbles are so critical to the aroma of great Champagne.

I've always felt that Champagne is best served in a flute, or maybe a smallish white wine glass, but never a coupe. The small glasses do two things that are important. Firstly, by holding only small servings, they keep the wine cool so it doesn't lose its refreshing qualities or the bubbles that convey the aromas to the nose. Secondly, they help concentrate the aromas, and for this task, a small white wine glass with a curved bowl may be better suited than a flute. Coupes and large wine glasses allow the bubbles to escape too quickly, and they also cause the wine to warm up faster than one might like.

A recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald cites a number of opinions supporting the use of small white wine glasses. This opinion was supported on a recent visit to the store by the exporters of a group of small, family-run grower-botted Champagne houses, who requested small white wine stems to show their Champagnes at their best.

Whatever you choose to serve your bubbly in, please have a happy holiday, and a great New Year! Matt Morgan is co-owner of Morgan & York Fine Wines and Specialty Foods in Ann Arbor, and blogs about food and wine for AnnArbor.com