How to buy wine glasses

Wine glasses complete the pleasure most wine is known to give. You can find wine glasses in different styles and materials and for a wide range of prices. Some glasses are specifically designed for certain types of wine, others are more versatile.

Wine glass material

Pay attention to material characteristics when you’re choosing wine glasses. The glass should traditionally be plain and clear: observing the color of wine is part of the enjoyment and process of wine tasting. To a wine expert, the color of wine gives clues as to what grapes were used, or how the wine has been aged. You can find frosted or tinted wine glasses if you’d like, but they will probably not be appropriate for a proper wine tasting.

Frosted wine glasses

Wine glass size

It isn’t just the amount you want to drink at a time that determines the right size for a wine glass. The bowl of the glass should be large enough to not only contain a decent pour, but also to leave enough room for a gentle swirl without any spillage. Swirling your wine releases its particular aromas, and appreciating the “bouquet” is one of the classic arts of wine drinking or tasting. Many people make the mistake of pouring the wine up to the brim on small glasses, thereby rendering the drinker unable to swirl the wine without spilling.

Stems of wine glasses

Wine glasses have stems not only for aesthetic reasons, but also so the glass can be held appropriately. How so? Keeping your fingers on the stem will leave the bowl of a wine glass clear and fingerprint-free so that the wine can be seen clearly. Stems also prevent you from increasing the temperature of the wine with the heat of your fingers, though many people do not bother to abide by this rule. Narrower wine stems will appear more elegant, but for practical purposes you may want to ensure a more stable wine glass with a sturdier, thicker stem.

Narrow-stemmed wine glasses

Wine glass shapes

A perfect wine glass is usually tapered on top so that its aperture is smaller than the widest part of the bowl. This is a functional feature: the tapered top keeps the wine from spilling during the swirl, and also points the precious aroma right to the nose for those who are partaking in the full tasting process. You will find in your shopping that designated “red wine glasses” are shorter and more squat and that “white wine glasses” are taller and narrower; this traditional difference is somewhat arbitrary. For tasting purposes, bigger is generally better as it creates more surface area for the wine to be exposed to the air.

Red wine glasses

Choosing wine glasses

You can get as specific as you want when you’re shopping for wine glasses, but more specialized purchases will come with higher price tags. Riedel, an Austrian firm, is known for their comprehensive range of wine glasses and high quality standards, and you can buy glasses for almost any varietal. But for a family that occasionally hosts several guests for dinner, you can make do with just a few essentials. If you want a versatile glass collection, put together a few Bordeaux glasses for red wines, Chardonnay for dry white wines, special flutes for champagne, and a few glasses for heavier drinks like brandy, you’ll do fine. If you don’t want to buy multiple sets, all-purpose wine glasses will do the trick for any varietal.

Chardonnay glasses

Riedel and Spiegelau are the manufacturers of choice since they can be readily replaced at any time due to their popularity and availability. A set of 12 of Riedel wine glasses will cost between $100 and $200 depending on the type of glass.

Riedel 'O' Stemless Wine Glass Complete Collection (Set of 12)

If you don’t want to invest as much in such breakable items, discount stores like Target and Wal-mart offer lower-priced options: sets of 12 wine glasses are available for under $30.

Shopping for wine glasses

As with many retail items, you will have more purchase options if you look for wine glasses on the internet. It is easy to obtain information and details about each item, and you can frequently see other customers’ comments on certain brands or styles of wine glass. Look for a site that offers free shipping over a certain price point, like Amazon. If you’re one of those people who prefers to buy things off the shelf, make sure that the packaging of your wine glasses is intact for the ride home.

Once you’ve stocked up on wine glasses, you might want to consider some other essentials for your kitchen.