Wine Glasses
Which wine glass do I really need? There's so many to choose from!
We'll get to that, but let's first get clear on the parts of a typical wine glass.
Breaking it down
Here's a typically wine glass. This isn't a brandy sniffer so hold the glass by the stem so your hand doesn't warm the wine up. Check out this 2-minute video for
a crash course on how to pour, swirl, sniff and taste wine.
Types of wine glasses
We are seeing many new wine glasses appear on the market, each claiming to be shaped specially for a wine varietal. I won't run through all of them as there's just too much noise out there. I mean, who really needs a special glass for every type of wine? Can you imagine the space needed to store all those glasses carefully?
The typical design for each glass is as follows:
Red Wine |
White
Wine |
Champagne/Sparkling Wine |
Sherry/Port |
Does the shape of the glass really make a difference?
Yes it does. I didn't believe it when I first starting drinking wine, but I do now. I wanted to do a quick experiment but discovered that Gary Vaynerchuck had already done a similar, and highly entertaining video on this subject. Check it out!
Do I really need a special wine glass for each kind of wine?
Well, yes and no. The short answer is that a wine glass can change how you perceive a wine so it does make sense to use a wine glass shaped to optimize the aromas and how the wine is delivered into your mouth. However, we mostly drink wine in a social setting where we are not focusing on every slight nuance of wine.
Then what should I get?
So if you're just getting started, you really only need 2 sets - one for red, and one for white. Here are 2 of the most common wine wine glasses to get - Cabernet/Bordeaux for red, and Chardonnay for white.
Red Wine |
White Wine |
Whatever you get, make sure it conforms to the general shape where it's got a wider bowl with a narrowing top. For red wine, you want a wide bowl in order to expose as much wine to air as possible (that's a good thing since it increases the rate of oxidation, and allows more aromas to accumulate in the bowl), and a narrowing top concentrates the aroma and prevents spills when you swirl the glass. This is not as critical for white wine.
And if you plan to host small dinner parties and have wine enthusiasts amongst them, you may want to spring for a higher quality set. These will generally have a thinner lip with a more accentuated and larger bowl. Plus, they're usually hand-blown and much prettier to look at!
I love champagne...
Long Stem Champagne Flute |
Champagne Flute |
Now if you plan to drink champagne even occasionally, I highly recommend getting a set of champagne flutes. Definitely get the flutes as the tall narrow bowl allows the bubbles
to form at the bottom and dance lazily to the top. You won't see the same bubble trails with the champagne coupe (sometimes called the saucer) and another drawback is that its
shape makes it easy to spill champagne. (Tidbit: The legend that the champagne coupe is shaped after the breast of a French aristocrat is FALSE!)
But hey, do I even need separate sets for red and white? Why can't I just get a multi-purpose one?
Well, you can. I recommend the All Purpose wine glass if you're going to go that route.
This all purpose wine glass can also be used for water and juices. It also has a shorter stem for easier handling.
When you compare white versus red wine glasses, you'll see that the white wine glasses are generally smaller and narrower. It's smaller because white wine is best consumed at
a colder temperature so having a small glass means that you have a smaller quantity of wine in the glass that can be consumed and refilled more frequently. It's also narrower
because there is less need to maximize aeration by having a large wine surface to air ratio.
As you start to discover your preferences, you will want to spring for higher quality glasses for occasions when you want your wine to shine. For example, if you find yourself
drinking lots of pinot noir, you can get a set of specialized wine glasses like the Ravenscroft Classics or Amplifier series
that will amplify all the characteristics you love about pinot noir. After all, if you're going to invest time, effort and money on getting a good bottle, you'll want to maximize
your enjoyment of it right? Keep in mind that these should be for more focused tastings. You do NOT want to bust these out when you're having a casual party where there's tons
of people walking around and leaving glasses everywhere.
Ravenscroft Classics Burgundy Grand Cru |
Ravenscroft Amplifer - Cabernet
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Materials
Most wine glasses are made of, you guessed it, glass. So what about crystal and what exactly is that? Well, crystal is essentially glass that has lead added to it during the manufacturing process. Historically, lead has been added to make it workable at a lower melting temperature, and it is more fluid so impurities and air bubbles can be removed more easily. Warning: slightly scientific fact follows: Crystal's atomic structure is tighter, which means it absorbs less energy. That's why it rings when tapped as opposed to a dull 'clank' of regular glass.
You can also get plastic wine glasses. They're cheap and excellent for use outdoors. The quality has definitely gotten better over the years and they are now clearer, lighter and stronger. And the best part is that the newer ones have a much thinner rim that I'm excited about. While tempting, I'd stay away from using them as regular wine glasses at home since they tend to, well, they tend to look cheap, feel cheap and sound cheap. Spring for the real deal for your home. It's worth it. Get the plastic ones as an extra set for outdoor use.
Metal wine glasses can also be something to consider for aesthetic reasons. They're going to be easier to maintain and won't break on you, but they will still scratch! Just make sure they don't have lead in them, and remember that you won't be able to see the color of the wine.
Various Emerging Trends or Products
Stemless wine glasses
There are definitely many advantages to these. They are easier to handle, less likely to get tipped over (and when they do, they are less likely to break) and easier to store. The tradeoff is that you don't have the stem to hold, which means you'll warm your wine faster when you hold the bowl. There are new double-walled ones coming out to address this problem, but the rim is very thick which ruins the experience. Also, I personally don't think they're very pretty. While I understand the practicality, I'm not a fan. By the way, these aren't a new trend that Riedel invented to sell more glasses. Stemless has been the norm in parts of Italy for a long time.
Colored wine glasses
I've seen some pretty ones so they have their place. However, for me, I want my wine glasses to be as clear and invisible as possible. If you do decide to get a few, as with metal, make sure they are lead free.
Breakage
Since good quality wine glasses are inherently fragile, breaking one every so often is just a part of life. You can minimize breakage during cleaning by using cleaning brushes and wine glass racks.
Dark wine glasses
Dark or black stemware such as the Ravenscroft Black are used for blind tastings where you do not want the taster to be able to be influenced by the color of the wine. They're great for wine tasting parties.
RecommendationIf you are just getting started, I recommend you purchase a set of 4 red and 4 white wine glasses. I've created a group of different wine accessory bundles that I think are great value for money and also make excellent gifts. If you already know that you tend to drink more syrah than cabernet, then get a set of syrah glasses. Else, a safe bet is to get the Cabernet or Bordeaux glasses. For white wines, I generally recommend the Chardonnay glass as the best all-around white wine glass to friends.
Shop for Wine Glasses
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