YOU may have chosen your Christmas wines already to go with the turkey, the Christmas pudding and the Boxing Day fare -- but have you thought about glasses?

According to experts, the glass you drink from can affect the flavour of the wine, depending on what part of the tongue it hits first.

Glass expert Stephen McGraw, head of top glass maker Riedel UK, says: "Each glass shape is fine-tuned to best enhance the wine's specific qualities. The glass is the wine's loudspeaker, transmitting the message of the drink to the senses."

The company's design concept is based on the fact that our tongue has different regions which pick up on different tastes.

The tongue senses 'sweet' on the tip, 'bitter' at the back, 'acid' at each side and 'salty' in the middle.

Sensitivity for sweet is at its maximum at the tongue tip and its minimum on the base of the tongue, while the greatest sensitivity for bitter lies on the base of the tongue and its minimum on the tip. Saltiness is equal all over, while for sourness, sensitivity is at its minimum on the tip and the base and maximum at the centres of the tongue edges.

The size and shape of the glass also enhances the wine's 'nose', therefore increasing the whole experience.

A Bordeaux glass should deliver the wine over the whole tongue, making it taste sweeter and silkier. As the tannins are played down, the fruit is emphasised.

Go for a good quality Bordeaux such as Margaux or a Pomerol.

Red burgundy has acidity, which is why it goes well with food, but you must keep the wine away from the acid receptors on the sides of the tongue. A good burgundy glass channels the wine down the centre of the tongue, allowing the drinker to enjoy the subtle fruits in the wine.

Try a pinot noir from New Zealand for a perfect match for turkey. It also goes well with pan-fried salmon, duck and goose.

You can go for a stemless glass of port or spirit, to accompany a mince pie or slice of Christmas pudding. Pouring the port down along the centre of the tongue brings out the rich fruit element of the drink. Try drinking either traditional port or alternatively go for

Madeira.

Riesling is perfect with a cheese course or as an aperitif to Christmas lunch. Riesling wines tend to have fresh acidity and a subtle nose and a good Riesling glass funnels the wine into the middle of the tongue. Try a half-dry German Riesling.

If your pennies won't run to top-of the-range wine and posh glasses, go for the best value.

Aldi's Blanc de Blancs Brut Cremant du Jura 2002is made from the same grapes as champagne but it's a third of the price.

A New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. is tangy and fresh and if you want red with your meal, have a Chilean Merlot. Australian Shiraz is a deep, full red wine.

And there's some very good quality Riojas, many available on supermarket own labels.