Wine glass shopping can be overwhelming! There are many different brands, glass shapes, and price points. When it comes to wine glasses (and all things wine), I like to keep it simple.
When we shop for wine glasses, I consider versatility, price, and "is it dishwasher safe?".
Do you need separate red, white, and sparkling wine glasses?
No, you don't! A lot of the variety in wine glasses comes down to marketing, but glass type can affect how we smell and taste the wine because air and glass shape can impact the aromas of the wine. Generally speaking, white wine glasses are smaller than red. Red wine glasses are larger so that more air can interact with the wine – the idea behind this is the air allows the flavors/scents from the wine to become more prominent.
Another difference between red and white wine glasses is that the white wine stem is usually longer than the red. This is because white wine is more temperature sensitive - having a longer stem keeps your hand/body heat further from the wine so that your hands don’t warm up the wine.
Sparkling wine glasses are designed to showcase the bubbles in sparkling wine, and the glass’s opening tends to be small (so less air gets to the wine). I prefer to drink sparkling wines in an all-purpose or white wine glass because I feel it brings out more flavors in the wine + it's always great to have fewer glasses, especially if you are always tight on storage space like me!
What are your thoughts on stemless wine glasses?
I'm a stem girl. For me, I don't like how quickly the wine heats up in a stemless wine glass. If I'm buying wine, I want to enjoy it and not feel rushed to drink it before it gets warm. For times when having a tall wine glass may be annoying, stemless wine glasses are perfect. They’re great for a boat, beach picnic, or any area where having a stem could be annoying.
Any other wine glass advice?
Some of the best advice I received when decorating my first apartment is always to buy wine glasses in odd numbers (and to have a couple extra, just in case one breaks).
Crate & Barrel
Crate & Barrel has been my go-to for wine glasses for years since my friends Christa and Ellie introduced me to their fantastic "hip" red wine glasses — IYKYK. What I love about Crate & Barrel is you can buy individual glasses, and their styles remain consistent, so if I break a glass, it's easy to replace the same one.
Photo from Crate & Barrel
Specific red, white, and sparkling glasses
The Hip collection is my favorite if you want separate red, white, and sparkling glasses. The red glass size (31oz “large) is generous and does a great job of bringing out all the aromas in a bold red wine. These glasses look much more expensive than they are. They are similar to red wine glasses I've found at Waterford, but a fraction of the price and dishwasher safe. The white glasses (14 oz “small”) are equally as great. The stem of the glass is long, and they fit a generous pour of white wine.
The sparkling glasses (9 oz “Champagne glass”) look great and do a lovely job of showcasing "bubbles." If you aren't sure if you need three different types of glasses, I recommend using white wine glasses for sparkling wines.
The Vervino All-Purpose glasses from Crate & Barrel are fantastic - they are 23 oz so they can fit a generous pour of wine and they look expensive. Like the other Crate & Barrel glasses they’re also dishwasher safe.
These glasses are versatile and can be used for red, white, and sparkling wine. You can buy them in a six-pack. The only con of these glasses is they’re sold in packs of six.
Riedel is the go-to glass of many high-end restaurants. These glasses can be a splurge. I love Riedel's VinumZinfandel/Riesling/Chianti Glasses. They make a perfect all-purpose wine glass, are lightweight, and feel "elegant" to drink out of.
When it comes to wine glasses, there are endless options to choose from. I recommend buying versatile glasses that are easy to repurchase in case one breaks.
X Sarah
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