Wine Glasses: The Ultimate Guide

Wine is so profoundly nuanced and contains such vast depth that the entire drinking and tasting experience can be impacted in a seemingly endless number of ways.

Whether it’s a matter of storage temperatures (check out the best wine coolers), wine aerators, how it’s poured, or – most relevantly – the glass from which it’s drunk, many factors go into the perfect wine.

So, it should come as no surprise, that depending on the type of wine, there’s a specific glass that helps get the most out of a given bottle.

There’s something of a science to it. To further elaborate, this article will discuss what kind of glasses are used with everybody’s favorite wine-types.

Though, before digging any deeper, it’s worth pointing out that it’s possible to experiment with various styles of wine glasses to decide what’s best for each bottle.

Use flutes, bow-shaped glasses, mugs, and even pint glasses—just to see the impact it has on the flavors and aromas. It is remarkable to notice just how much the shape and size of a vessel alter the entire tasting process.  

Without any further adieu, let’s get started:

 Crystal Wine Glass

Here’s how to discern whether a glass is crystal-based:

When it’s held up to the light a crystal wine glass, it captures it in a prism and creates a rainbow. Regular glass doesn’t do that.

Funnily enough, that “music” sound that comes from wine glasses after rubbing a wet finger around the rims, generally comes from a crystal.

Crystal glasses – interestingly – don’t have a crystalline structure, and mostly consist of lead or mineral glass.

Since crystal can be spun thin, it’s a massive benefit for a wine glass at its rim/edge, where it can be both incredibly thin yet formidably strong. It’s also suitable for wine drinkers who enjoy looking at their wine because the lead glass refracts light.

There’s a lead-free crystal—commonly comprised of magnesium and zinc. Those wishing to clean their glass with their dishwasher will be happy to know that most models have been proofed for precisely that purpose. Lastly, lead-free wine glasses are also extremely durable.

Alternatively, crystal wine glasses with lead are incredibly porous and must be hand washed.

There are varying qualities in crystal glasses, which are generally quite expensive.

In the UK, there are strict regulations that depict whether an item is actually crystal.

Namely, the glass must have a 24% mineral content. Conversely, in the US, there isn’t much in the way of regulations being enforced on manufacturers. So, there’s not as much of a guarantee for quality.

Champagne Glass

The two most common forms of stemware used to enhance the champagne drinking experience are the flute and the coupe.

In both types, the stems of these champagne glasses allow the drinker to hold the glass without affecting the drink temperature. As such, these glasses can be used for some beers and sparkling wines.

The champagne flute either has a tall and tapered conical shape or an elongated slender bowl. It holds approximately 6 to 10 ounces of any given liquid.

During its inception in the 1700s, the champagne flute was tall, conical, and slender. However, most flutes are more inwardly curved near the tip instead of a straight-sided glass.

The purpose of the inward taper design is to retain the carbonation of the champagne since it reduces the surface area from which it can escape. Carbonation fizzles out too fast when the surface area is too abundant.

Bubbles serve to add texture in a taster’s mouth. Plus, the deep bowl in a flute provides the alluring visual of bubbles rising to the surface.

Also, since they have a narrow cross-section, flutes drastically lessen the ratio of oxygen-to-wine. This narrowness acts to both enhance aroma and taste.

As referenced at the beginning of this section, there’s another popular champagne glass know as the coupe.

The coupe is a shallow, saucer-shaped stemmed glass with a broad bowl that can hold between 4 to 8 ounces of liquid. Many believe that the coupe’s model was based on the left breast of the French Queen Marie Antoinette, who was the wife of King Louis XVI of France. However, the real story is that the glass had been designed in England during the previous century, in 1663.

In France, the coupe was a stylish way to drink champagne from about the 1700s until the 1970s. Whereas in the United States, it was most commonly used from the 1930s until the 1980s.

White Wine Glass

With white wine, the kind of glass used should be dependent on when and where the wine is being consumed.

When at a picnic, for example, clear glasses are a perfect fit for the occasion. Conversely, at more intimate or formal get-togethers, it’s more suitable to choose broader stemware.

Compared to red wine glasses, whites are best enjoyed from a slightly smaller bowl.

Also, white wine glasses tend to be more upright and u-shaped than red glasses. The aromas and flavors are preserved and enhanced through such stemware. Plus, the temperature becomes more balanced.

However, not all white wines are made the same, and different kinds necessitate their own variation of glass.

Here are a few examples:

Sauvignon Blanc Glass

• A tall glass with a slender bowl is ideal for Sauvignon Blanc and other light to medium-bodied wines with a floral or fruity taste
• Examples of wines that benefit from such a wine glass are Fume Blanc, Loire, Vinho Verde, or Chenin Blanc
• The delicate aromas of these wines are captured while the sides of the glass’ mouth detecting the overall acidity of the wine

Montrachet Glass

• Large bowls are best for not only Montrachets but other white wines with complex notes
• Examples of wines best enjoyed from these glasses are White Burgundy, Corton-Charlemagne, and Meursault
• White wine drinkers will notice that the vast opening emphasizes the smell and encourages the wine to open up because it interacts with the air

Chardonnay Wine Glass 

• Glasses with large openings are best suited for full-bodied white wines
• Examples of wines best enjoyed from these glasses are Chardonnay, Viognier, and Semillon
• Larger openings balance out the acidity and sweetness of the white wine on the wine drinker’s tongue

Red Wine Glass

There are a set of distinct characteristics shared by all red wine glasses:

• Large size
• Wide openings
• Full, round bowl
• Short stem

Red wine glasses offer enough room to dip the nose, which helps identify aromas, because of the large openings. Air interacts and mixes with the wine. This gives a boost to the oxidation rate of the wine due to the full bowl. This feature brings out the most nuanced scents and flavors.

Then there’s the tapered mouth. With red wine glasses, it’s believed the wine sits in the correct places of the mouth due to the taper, which brings forth the best flavors.

Seeing as red wine generally isn’t chilled, it can be served in a glass without a stem since the heat of the hands is a non-issue.

Below, are some examples of red wine glasses:

Cabernet Glasses

• These glasses have a full bowl and narrow mouth shape
• They are made to highlight the aromas in the wine

Bordeaux Glasses

• These taller glasses make the perfect fit for full-bodied wines

Burgundy Glasses

• A larger bowl that accommodates the more delicate aromas of the wines
• Helps bring forth incredible tastes to the mouth because of the shape

Pinot noir glasses

• Since they have the most room for air, the wide bowls of these glasses intensify the aromas of the wine

Stemless Wine Glass

Stemless wine glasses are a more recent trend and are now a popular choice in hotels, bars, and restaurants.

As has been hinted upon, most experts do think that stemless glasses are better for red wine since it’s served at room temperature. The heat of a person’s hand around the glass is believed to impact the temperature. However, these glasses are designed for white wine as well.

In fact, stemless glasses differ in design from one another, hinging upon the manner of the grape being used (i.e., red and white). To further elaborate, there are stemless glasses for the Syrah/Shiraz grape variety.

There’s a comparison to be made between whiskey glasses and stemless wine glasses. They’re both easy to hold—providing a stable grip.

Depending on the brand, stemless glasses vary in size. Still, no matter the size, it’s an eclectic, modern way to serve red wine, white wine, and even champagne.

One of the main benefits of these glasses is the eye-catching design. Also, stemless glasses are more durable in the dishwasher.

Plastic Wine Glasses

Disposable, plastic wine glasses are most ideal for informal occasions where it wouldn’t make sense to wash a thousand dishes.

For instance, there are plastic champagne flutes that are perfect for a more casual wedding or family reunion.

A crucial advantage to plastic wine glasses is that there’s no worry in bringing the wine outside. With finer crystal and other more expensive glasses, there are concerns when bringing them on a patio or deck. More high-end glasses are fragile and delicate. As such, plastic wine glasses provide a more relaxed wine-drinking experience.

Plus, there are recyclable options on the market. So, it doesn’t have to be as wasteful as purchasing a bunch of paper plates, for instance.

The Impact of a Wine Glass

Whether a casual wine enthusiast or an avid connoisseur, it’s wise to get the most out of the wine-drinking experience. Wine is one of the finer things and life and should always be enjoyed to the fullest. That can only happen when drinking one’s favorite bottle from the correct glass. Have a browse of some of the best-selling wine glasses right now – or take a more in depth look at the various types of wine glasses in the menu above.