I understand that one of the important aspects of a wine glass is that it has smaller opening at the top, which is going to help concentrate the aromas.
But why are glasses for red wine generally wider than those for white wine?
Also are there any reasons for white wine glasses to be narrow?
Summary of the question is really; why have two different sizes for wine glasses?
Best Answer
As baka has said, more volatile components of the wine will be released with more wine surface exposed.
Also, this not only releases aroma but also helps the wine to "breathe" and oxidize, which is why you open the red wine bottle half an hour before serving it (so that this process starts), and why you might pour the wine into a decanter.
This process accentuates the flavors and aromas of the wine. It is not very much necessary with younger, colder served wines (e.g. vinho verde).
In young, sparkling wine, a larger glass will disperse the bubbles faster, as well as warming it. This is undesireable, hence the smaller, narrower glasses.
Aged white wine should behave similarly to aged red wine, although it doesn't need to breathe as much.