These Are the Best Wine Glasses on the Market
Have you ever gone to open up your favorite bottle of wine, and as you’re pouring it into the glass, you’re already imagining how amazing it’s going to taste? However, just as the wine meets your taste buds, you’re suddenly let down because the taste just wasn’t quite as good as you imagined it to be.
More than likely, you blamed the wine. What if we told you that the problem wasn’t the wine—but the glass?
This article will give a detailed overview of the best wine glasses for different purposes (such as wine types!) and the top features to consider when purchasing wine glasses.
What to Look for in a Wine Glass
Is the kind of wine glass that you have really that important? The short answer is yes.
Nuances in glass design can go unnoticed and even appear to be unimportant. However, the small differences in the design of the glass can impact the way that you experience wine. Wine glass attributes such as style and shape affect the amount of air that comes in contact with the drink.
Carefully examine these features that are especially suited towards enhancing wine flavor before purchasing your wine glasses; each feature really does make or break your sip!
Bowl Shape
Wine enthusiasts know that the thickness of the wine glass affects how much wine surface area gets exposed to the air. Moreover, the width of a wine glass determines just how much wine aroma your nose experiences. The wider the bowl, the more of the aroma that can reach your nose because more wine is exposed to the air.
For wine glasses that have narrower bowls, not as much wine gets exposed to the air—this means that the surface area is too insignificant to release a sufficient amount of aroma. Below is a detailed breakdown of bowl shapes best suited for the kind of wine you’re drinking.
Red Wines Require a Wider Bowl
The best red wine glasses have large and wide bowls because they accentuate a red wine’s bolder flavors and aromas. A wine glass with a broader bowl allows a more generous amount of aromas to travel to your nose, simultaneously aerating the wine while you drink and facilitating the release of more flavor.
White Wines Require a Narrower Bowl
White wines traditionally have more of a delicate aroma and flavor. As a result, having a more narrow glass concentrates these more delicate and subtle aromas, channeling them to your nose. Additionally, narrow glasses expose less surface area to the air and preserve the chill of the wine.
Sparkling Wines Require a Tall and Narrow Fluted Bowl
When enjoying an excellent sparkling wine, the little bubbles can be quite delightful. Did you know that the carbonation of sparkling wine is lost when it meets oxygen? Therefore, to maintain the wine’s effervescence for as long as it can be preserved, it’s important to select a tall and fluted bowl that’s narrow in order to conserve those little bubbles of delight.
Stem Consideration
If you find yourself mulling over the decision to go with a stemless or a stemmed wine glass, it’s not as big of a deal as you may think—for the most part, it’s going to be based on your likes and dislikes.
However, there’s one thing that you may have to consider: a stemless glass increases the temperature of your wine because your hand warms the bowl as well as the contents inside. This may make a stemless glass less beneficial for drinking white wine. Stemless glasses also feel less formal and are usually used for casual gatherings.
Rim Width
The rim width of your wine glass can affect the way that the wine reaches your tongue as you enjoy it, thereby impacting the way that you sip the wine. The thinly cut edge allows the wine to flow more easily into your mouth. On the other hand, a thicker rolled rim hinders smooth flow. Impeding the fluidity of the flow can accentuate any harshness and acidity of the wine.
Wine Glass Reviews
If you’re unsure of where to begin when choosing wine glasses, we’ve taken the liberty of compiling a list of some of the best wine glasses for you to choose from. So take a gander and choose the best wine glasses that are suitable for your preferences.
Schott Zwiesel Pure Collection Wine Glasses (Best All-Purpose Wine Glasses)
Schott Zwiesel Pure Collection Wine Glasses are some of the best all-purpose wine glasses on the market. The Schott Zwiesel collection comes with a set of two wine glasses uniquely designed to facilitate flavor, all the while having a wine glass that’s suitable for both red and white wines.
Both glasses have an 18.2-ounce capacity—coming in at 9.6 inches tall and 3.6 inches wide. Moreover, these glasses are made of Titan crystal, a worldwide patented crystal material that is composed of zirconium oxide and titanium oxide. Designed with crisp and sharp lines, these glasses are quality and elegant, giving off an air of high fashion and sophistication.
The Schott Zwiesel collection of wine glasses boast a moderate stem height with excellent balance. These all-purpose glasses are entirely dishwasher safe; however, it is advised not to force the bowl tightly over the dishwasher rack prongs. Additionally, it would be best if you refrained from twisting the bowl and the stem while holding one or the other tightly.
Best Features:
- All-purpose glasses
- Completely dishwasher safe
- Stemmed glasses for an elegant and sophisticated look
Zalto Denk’Art Burgundy Wine Glass (Best High-End Wine Glasses)
The Zalto Denk’Art Burgundy wine glass is a new generation of hand-blown, dishwasher safe and lead-free wine glasses. The quality of this glass is apparent from the first moment you feast your eyes on it.
The glass feels so delicate in your hands, but you don’t have to worry about compromised durability. It’s both sturdy and made to ensure daily use. This glass is perfectly balanced and expertly designed to enhance your wine-drinking experience.
The bowl, designed with enough space to facilitate all of the flavor and aroma found in red wines, accentuates all of the right notes. These wine glasses are designed with a long stem, perfect for swirling and sniffing as you enjoy the wine.
Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or a person who just loves to relax at the end of a long day with a chilled glass of wine, Zalto glasses are perfect for you.
Best Features:
- Hand-blown from the finest European crystal
- Huge bowl that accentuates the flavor of red wines
- Very thin glass rim which allows for a great flow to your tongue
Libbey Signature Greenwich Red Wine Glass (Best for Red Wines)
The Libbey Signature Greenwich red wine glass possesses a uniquely elegant and angular bowl. The broad angular bowl does wonders in enhancing your wine drinking experience by accentuating both the aromas and flavors. Furthermore, this glass is versatile and can be used to serve chilled water and cocktails.
This glass is exclusively manufactured with Libbey’s ClearFire formula for added brilliance, strength and clarity. It also works well with sauvignon, shiraz, cabernet, merlot and more.
These are some of the best red wine glasses equipped with a thin rim to enhance the wine flow into your mouth. As a bonus, this wine glass comes in elegant gift packaging, perfect for birthdays, weddings, or even everyday celebrations.
Best Features:
- Wine glasses are easy to hold and swirl
- Wide, angular bowl that’s perfect for accentuating aromas and flavors
- Beautiful packaging great for gift giving
Riedel Veritas Oaked Chardonnay Glass (Best for White Wines)
Riedel’s Veritas Oaked Chardonnay glass is machine-made and is part of the lightweight glass collection. Riedel’s glass is lighter and more delicate than most other wine glasses while simultaneously being suitable for long-term daily use.
White wines are known for their delicate flavors and subtler aromas; Riedel’s glasses have the perfect-sized bowl that allows space for the rich bouquet to develop its diverse range of aromas. These sophisticated glasses also minimize the risk of the wine becoming too concentrated.
The Riedel Veritas Oaked Chardonnay glass is the glass that you won’t mind grabbing whether you’re hosting a very special event or casually sharing a bottle of wine with a few friends. All Riedel glasses are conveniently dishwasher safe, and the glass is stain-resistant as well.
Best Features:
- Perfectly sized bowl designed to accentuate the flavor and aromas of white wine
- Delicate and lightweight glass that’s still durable enough to handle daily use
- Dishwasher safe
Libbey Vineyard Reserve 12-Piece Wine Glass Party Set (Best Value Wine Glasses)
Libbey Vineyard Reserve 12-Piece wine glass party set highlights value. As we mentioned, the shape and size of your wine glass can enhance the flavors of a wine. However, not all shapes and sizes of wine glasses are conducive for every kind of wine. Here is where the real value of Libbey’s Vineyard Reserve 12-Piece wine glass party set shines through.
When you choose to buy this party set, you don’t have to choose between red or white wines. This set comes with two distinctly different-sized wine glasses, one designed for red wine and the other for white wine.
Libbey’s chardonnay glasses will help to bring out your white wines light and subtle taste, and the taller and wider merlot glasses will accentuate the bold flavors and aromas of your red wines.
Best Features:
- High amount of glasses makes the set perfect for hosting holiday parties and other group events
- Pack contains glasses for both red and white wines and enhances the flavor of both
- Dishwasher-safe
Dragon Glassware Wine Glasses with Finger Indentations (Best Stemless Wine Glasses)
The sea waves inspired this beautiful glass, and the shape of the glass is a natural aerator and decanter. You can use these wine glasses to serve all types of white and red wine and martinis, soft drinks, cocktails and spirits. The curved indentations of the glass make it very comfortable to hold, and it comes packaged in luxury gift wrap.
This beautiful crystal-clear glass is BPA and lead-free, dishwasher-safe and safe to store in the freezer or refrigerator. You can use Dragon glassware daily, and the glass is stain-resistant and sturdy.
This company prides itself on customer service and offers a one-year limited warranty, as well as a money-back guarantee.
Best Features:
- One-year limited warranty
- Indentations make the glass easy to hold
- Versatile glass that can be used for red and white wines
Elixir Glassware Champagne Flutes (Best Sparkling Wine Glasses)
The Elixir Glassware Champagne Flutes are breathtaking, and their sleek design makes them perfect for any formal occasion that calls for a touch of elegance. The exceptionally clear glass, slender stem and cylindrical body tastefully showcase your sparkling wine every time.
Most crystal glasses contain around 20% glass, but Elixir glassware possesses ultra-clarity, and they’re also lead-free. These glasses are incredibly lightweight while still maintaining their durability and sturdiness.
Your satisfaction is guaranteed when you purchase Elixir glasses as they arrive in secure packaging designed to look exceptionally modern and graceful. The shape of these wine glasses is stylish and perfectly shaped to inhibit the intake of oxygen into the glasses to preserve the effervescence of the wine better.
Best Features:
- Expertly crafted with a perfect cylindrical shape and narrow stem
- Lightweight but durable
- The body of the glass maintains the effervescence of sparkling wines
Final Thoughts
When deciding on the best wine glasses for your needs, remember that the size of the bowl and the shape of the glass are all critical, mainly depending on the kind of wine you’re drinking. However, if you’re unsure about what wine glass to buy, remember that you can buy an all-purpose glass designed for every kind of wine.
Having a pleasant drinking experience truly comes down to the type of glass that you’re using to enjoy it. If you find that your wine isn’t what you’d hoped for, try swapping out the glasses to see if it makes a difference.
