Does the Glassware Really Matter When Drinking Wine?
The style of the glass plays a large role in how someone experiences the wine in that glass. More than just the appearance and the way that it sits in your hand, a proper wine glass is designed to enhance the aroma and flavors of the wine it holds.
The shape of the glass effects surface area, aroma, ethanol evaporation, and many more factors. How all of these elements interact can be the deciding factor on whether or not you are able to pick up those subtle aromas and flavors that make more expensive wine worth their heftier price tag.
Different Features of a Wine Glass and Why They Matter
Foot
The foot, sometimes called the base of the wine glass, is the flat bottom of the glass that keeps it standing upright.
Stem
The stem of the wine glass is an important feature as well. It gives the drinker a comfortable place to hold the glass without getting fingerprints on the bowl. More importantly though, it keeps your hands from warming the bowl. The temperature of your wine makes a significant impact on the flavors and aromas the drinker perceives.
White wines are served chilled, so cradling the glass is a big mistake as your wine will quickly begin to warm up. But even red wines that are served at room temperature should not be subjected to the warmth of your hand. It will alter the way that your wine tastes as well as the aromas that it gives off.
Bowl
The bowl is perhaps the most important part of the wine glass. In a red wine glass, you will notice that the bowl is usually larger than a white wine glass. This is because red wines will oxidize when they are subjected to the air. This is a good thing since this oxidation improves the bouquet, color, and flavor of the wine.
More aroma means a better overall sense of the wine. So glassblowers created a bigger bowl for red wines so that they can create a larger surface area for the wine giving more exposure to the air. But even between different types of red wine, you may need different sized bowls. Some red wines will do better when meeting more oxygen, while some only need a little.
Rim
The rim is equally as important as the bowl. The rim should always be narrower than the bowl on a wine glass. That is because the narrowing at the top concentrates the aroma and directs it towards the drinker’s nose. However, the rim on a red wine glass, much like a bowl, is often bigger than a white wine glass. Again this is because the designers wanted to get more fresh air into the glass.
This is also because of ethanol. Ethanol is given off by alcohol, just like the other aromas. Except ethanol is a very overpowering smell and will interfere with the drinker’s perception of the other more pleasing aromas of the wine. Ethanol, when it travels up off of the wine, tends to stick to the sides of the glass. A more prominent rim means that the center of the glass will have less ethanol.
Since 80% of taste is smell, the bigger rim allows you to get your nose into the glass. When the drinker’s nose enters the glass, it goes into the ‘sweet spot, or the middle of the rim, where there is less ethanol. Now they can get a better sense of the aromas of the wine without the interference of ethanol fumes.
How To Pick the Proper Glass for Your Wine
Basic Shape of a Red Wine Glasses
Although there are many types of red wine glasses with each one providing specific improvements for the wine that it is meant to hold, the two main types of red wine glasses are the Bordeaux and the Burgundy glass.
A Bordeaux glass is meant to hold a heavy, full-bodied wine. This would be wines in the class of a Cabernet or a Merlot. As you will notice, the Bordeaux glass has a much slimmer design with a much taller bowl. These full-bodied wines don’t need as much oxidation, and so they don’t require as big a bowl. What they do require is more height on the glass. This height allows the wine to pour directly into the back of your throat, landing on the tastebuds in the rear of your tongue. When drinking a more substantial blend, this maximizes the overall flavor of the wine.
A Burgundy glass works in exactly the opposite way. It is meant for a lighter, full-bodied wine like a Pinot Noir. These lighter wines need more oxidation so they get a bigger bowl. And because these wines are light, they enable the drinker to detect much more subtle flavors. This is why they have a short wide rim. When drinking out of a Burgundy glass, the wine naturally flows to the tip of the tongue. This is where you are able to detect the more subtle intricacies of the wine.
Basic Shape of a White Wine Glass
The standard white wine glass will look like the traditional Chardonnay glass. A wide bowl with a medium width rim that will balance the low acidity with the more fruity sweetness bringing out the fruity aromas without letting them overpower the wine as a whole.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Red Wine Glass
Price
Price is an important factor when choosing the proper wine glass. If you can buy a special glass for every type of red wine you have, then more power to you. But otherwise, it would probably make sense to stick with the three main styles, Bordeaux and Burgundy for red wines, or a chardonnay for whites.
This will give you a proper wine glass for both heavy and light wines allowing you to truly begin to enjoy the complexities of different wines without spending too much money.
Price is also a factor in the type of glass you will be able to get. Crystal is more expensive, but with that price comes with some real advantages. Figure out what price range works for you and then try and find the best glass that fits your budget.
Durability
Durability is important and something that you need, to be honest with yourself about when purchasing your next set of wine glasses.
If these glasses are for special occasions or for people who are extremely careful and care for their wines, then go with the thinnest lipped crystal you can find. These offer the best possible wine-drinking experience. It is worth noting as well that crystal is hand wash only and can not be put in the dishwasher.
However, if you are planning to drink out of these daily, so you want to be able to put them in the dishwasher, or you have children and dogs and a busy house where these glasses might get chipped, knocked over or broken easily. It may be worth foregoing the elegance of thin crystal and instead opting for something more practical and affordable like regular glass.
These will save you from the heart-ache of seeing your favorite expensive wine glasses break, and allow you to enjoy your wine without worry.
Feel
The feel of your glass is another important personal choice that you need to make. It doesn’t matter what glass is perfect for what wine. If you don’t like the way that it looks or the way that feels in your hand, then you’re not going to enjoy drinking out of it.
Remember that crystal can be made thinner but is also heavier. This thinner lip is essential and provides a better mouthfeel, but some beginners think that it feels too fragile in their mouth. If this is you, I would urge you to try and push past that.
The thinner lip is the better way to go, but if you really don’t like it, then choose what feels right for you.
Appearance
The appearance of the glass is important, but I will tell you that colored glasses should never be used, and you should try to stay away from engraved glasses as well.
Although this may not matter for everyday drinking, if you are having a high-end wine, the engravings will disrupt your view of the color and legs of the wine. This is a significant feature that distinguishes different kinds of wines and is something that needs to be seen clearly.
So do yourself a favor and get a glass that is crystal clear and is elegant in its shape, not its etched pattern.
How We Picked Our Favorite Glasses
The glasses below are picked due to the way that each brand designs its wine glass. Each pick comes from a brand that offers multiple options for every red wine category, and white wine as well. Where these brands differ is in how they build the glass.
Some are hand made; some are machine-made or laser cut. They vary in thickness, strength, clarity, and cost. They all have small variations that make them excel in different areas. So find the glass that fits best for you. No matter what style you prefer, they’ll have a glass that fits your taste in wine, and your needs.
OUR FAVORITE WINE GLASSES!
Best Overall
For our best overall wine glass, we were looking for a wine glass with a universal shape that would compliment any wine that was poured into it. This wine glass won’t bring out the individual complexities of any wine perfectly, but you can rest assured that it will never be detracting from them either.
During our search, we came across the Riedel Vinum Zinfandel Glass and knew that it was the one. These glasses are made from premium crystal. They have a medium length stem and a wide enough bowl to allow for aeration, with the room for aromas to concentrate and grow.
The rim tapers in near the top directing aromas to the drinker’s nose, and the lip is extremely thin for a very pleasant feel on the lips.
This glass is also dishwasher safe making one that can easily be used every day. No matter what bottle you pour into this glass, it will handle the wine with grace.
Best Red Wine Glass
As a general rule of thumb if you want a generic red wine glass that works for anything you would get a Cabernet glass. This definitely doesn’t fit that typical mold as the bowl and curve are much more aggressive on the Zalto Denk’Art Bordeaux Glass, but it is one of my favorite red wine glasses and truly does work to improve any red wine you pour into it.
The super-wide bowl provides excellent aeration for a well-aged red. Those aromas are then directed straight up to you with the gradual narrowing of the glass as it moves towards the rim. The ultra-thin stem and rim give this glass an unbelievably elegant feeling in the hand and on the lips. The glass is light and seemingly floats in your hand.
These glasses are made from mouth-blown lead-free crystal in Austria. They aren’t going to be a budget wine glass but if you invest in these they will make any red wine come alive.
Best White Wine Glass
When looking for a wine glass that can complement any white wine, you can’t beat the shape of a chardonnay glass, and one of the best chardonnay glasses out there comes from Riedel.
The Riedel Vinum Chardonnay Glass is made from machine-blown crystal. It shoots right down the middle in terms of the size and width of the bowl. Making it accomodating to many different white wines, while still giving it the shape required to bring out the fruitier notes of a white while balancing the naturally low acidity.
Best Set
The Libbey Vineyard Reserve Wine Glass Set is a 12 piece set that includes six chardonnay glasses, perfect for white wine, and six Bordeaux glasses that are perfect for red wine.
The Bordeaux glasses are more circular, giving more surface area for aeration. The bowl is wide to collect aromas but not too tall, so that strong red wines won’t become overwhelming in the glass.
The chardonnay glasses are built to exemplify the fruity flavor of a white wine while simultaneously balancing the natural sweetness.
These glasses are entirely dishwasher safe, made from lead-free glass, and come with a satisfaction guarantee from Libbey. They also come at an unbelievably affordable price making the perfect set for any party or social event.
Premium Pick
This is the Riedel Sommeliers Bordeaux Grand Cru Wine Glass it is our pick for the best premium red wine glass on the market. This Bordeaux is incredible, but any wine glass in their sommeliers’ collection is sure to impress.
Riedel is one of the biggest names in the wine glass industry. They are a family-run company from Europe with over 250 years of experience and eleven generations making premium wine glasses and decanters. The Riedel Sommeliers collection is a benchmark and is the most successful hand-made glass collection in the world.
Made from hand-blown crystal glass, each piece is a unique work of art. The bowl and rim are blown into place while the stem is sculpted by hand with the same technique glassblowers have used since the birth of Christ. These glasses are the epitome of everything desired in a Bordeaux glass.
The large bowl, holding 30 ounces, makes it the perfect shape to bring out the color and subtle aromas of wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. This collection also features the same standard of excellence made into a Burgundy glass as well as many others. All of which are sure to impress anyone who drinks from them.
Budget Pick
Our budget pick is a wine glass that fits even the strictest budget while maintaining the classical style, feel, and clarity of a higher-end glass. That red wine glass is the Chef and Sommelier Domaine Bordeaux. The Domain Bordeaux’s claim to fame is in its glass structure. These red wine glasses are made with Krysta crystal glass. Krysta is the first European quality high-performance lead-free crystal glass to be made in America.
It is special because this Krysta blend is 30% stronger at the rim than standard crystal glass. This allows them to create a super-thin lip for enhanced mouthfeel and pour but it also allows it to be dishwasher safe, retaining its clarity for up to 2,000 washes, something that is a requirement in a glass that you use every day. The great thing is that Krysta crystal glass retains the same clarity and sound of traditional high-quality leaded crystal. Scoring a 98.8 on the clarity index, it is one of the clearest crystal glasses on the market.
With an elegant classic shape, strength on the stem and rim, and the clarity of the crystal. This glass has everything the premium glasses offer at a fraction of the price. You will enjoy these glasses to no end, and at this price point, even if one does break, it won’t feel like a blow to your wallet. You can clean it up and still get on with enjoying your night.
Most Durable Wine Glass
These are the super durable Schott Zwiesel Tritan Crystal Wine Glasses. These wine glasses are made with patented Tritan non-leaded crystal, which is crystal infused with titanium oxide and zirconium oxide. Yes, this is crystal infused with titanium. Giving the glass double the breaking strength of any other crystal on the market. All while retaining the clarity and beauty of traditional leaded crystal.
These glasses make the perfect companion for any accident-prone household. They also make for a great outdoor option, significantly reducing the risk of breaking if a glass is ever spilled or dropped.
Made in Germany, these glasses are durable enough to be top-rack dishwasher safe, crack-resistant, and scratch-resistant. With tempered strength added to the rim, bowl-stem juncture, and the stem-foot juncture, these glasses deliver incredible durability. All while still being designed with the characteristics needed to enhance the flavor and aroma of your wine for an exceptional drinking experience.
Best Stemless Wine Glasses
Riedel has made it onto our list a couple of times, and that is because they are one of the biggest wine glass manufacturers in the world. They got there with time, knowledge, and by making exceptional products both in price and quality.
The Riedel “O” Stemless Wine Glasses is no exception, and we picked it because we think that this is one of the few stemless wine glasses that you don’t have to make excuses for.
This whole glass is made of crystal, is extremely lightweight and ultra-thin, just the way a wine glass should be. Yes, they are more fragile, which is why most manufacturers make their stemless wine glasses thicker, but the thinness of this glass makes the wine drinking experience better.
The bowl is big enough for red but no so large that it wouldn’t compliment a white as well.
They say that they are dishwasher safe, but I wouldn’t suggest risking it.
Words to Know When Talking About Your Wine
Bouquet
The bouquet, also called the aroma of the wine, is the smell. Smell is 80% of taste, so making sure that you have a glass that enhances the bouquet of your wine.
Like a bouquet of flowers, the aroma of your wine will have many different subtle features, all wrapped up in one beautiful bow. Make sure that you take the chance to really smell and savor the bouquet so that you can identify the subtle intricacies between wines.
Body
The body of a wine refers to its weight on the tongue. The same way that milk feels heavier on your palate than water, certain wines will feel heavier than others. This distinction is based on the grape variety, alcohol, tannin, sugar, and extract levels in the wine.
Wines are usually divided into three categories of light-bodied, medium-bodied, or full-bodied. In general, the lower the content of alcohol, tannins, sugars, and extracts in the wine, the lighter it will be. As the volume of these contents rise, so does the weight, or body of the wine.
Like the analogy used earlier, lighter wines will tend to have a more watery mouthfeel. Medium-bodied wines will have a feeling akin to skim milk. Full-bodied wines are often compared to the same weight and feel that you’d have when drinking full-fat milk.
Legs
The legs of the wine refer to the droplets that form on the sides of the glass when it is swirled. These droplets form as a result of fluid surface tension caused by the evaporation of alcohol.
The legs of the wine are not an indicator of quality, but rather relate to the alcohol content and sweetness of the wine. The density of droplets that form on the glass will tell you the alcohol content. A higher alcohol content means more droplets.
The speed at which those droplets fall back to the bottom of the glass is related to sugar content or the sweetness of the wine. A sweeter wine with more sugar will increase the viscosity of the wine and cause the droplets to fall slower.
People swirl their wines because it increases ethanol evaporation, which enhances the aroma of the wine. The ethanol is not the aroma. It actually hinders your ability to smell the aroma. Thus most wine glasses are formed in such a way that they will keep ethanol out of your nose. But when the ethanol evaporates, it creates more of the pleasing aromas that you are looking for.
