Do wine glasses make a difference?

Does the type of Wine glass really make a difference…?

The answer is absolutely. But you can go over-board and end up with over 50 different types of wine glasses. Buying that many glasses isn't just expensive, it's impractical—to store and clean them, and even find room for them on the table for dinner or a party.

The shape of the wine glass, and the grade of glass used, both make a big difference in how your wine will actually taste… really! I'll spare you the scientific jargon, but the shape of a wine glass determines where the wine falls on your tongue. Different parts of the tongue are responsible for different tastes and so wine companies (Riedel was first) spend a lot of time and energy designing the shape of their glasses to match certain wines….

For example, robust red wines like a Burgundy and Pinot Noir use a very large glass (up to 37 oz) with a wide bowl so the wine has room to breath. Others like a white Chablis are smaller (12 oz) and are tall and thin. Each glass is engineered (yes engineered) for a specific type and color of wine.

The other factor to consider when selecting a wine glass is the actual grade of glass used. Good wine glass use 5% lead crystal (Spiegelau - $54 US for 6), better glasses (Riedel Vinum $109 US for 6) use 24% lead crystal, and the finest wine glasses (Riedel Sommelier $129 US for 2) are hand blown and use 24% lead crystal…. Not only can you feel the difference a fine wine glass makes, but if you flick the glass and put it to your ear – it sings to you.... just try it and see what we mean!

In addition to traditional glasses, Riedel has recently created a whole new category of wine glasses they call Wine Tumblers. Just like in Roman times, you can now drink your wine from a wine tumbler using the same shapes as the much more expensive Vinum and Sommerlier series, but without the actual wine stem… odd as it sounds, these glasses feel great in your hand, and are a lot of fun to use.

You can also buy specific wine glasses for sake, scotch, spirits, beer and champagne… as we said you could easily purchase over 50 types of wine glasses if you work at it a bit.

Here’s what most of our customers do:

1. Decide how much they want to spend on wine glasses
2. Purchase two different glasses – one for white and one for red
3. Select a specialty glass for spirits, beer or champagne
4. Add to their collection of wine glasses over time

Like any fine glass product, the more expensive the glass, the more careful you need to be…. The Spigelau and Riedel Vinum can be put in the dishwasher, while the Riedel Sommelier should be hand washed and dried.

Wine glasses make a great gift, as most people won’t buy fine wine glasses for themselves unless they’re real wine enthusiasts. No matter how sophisticated the wine drinker, they will be able to taste the difference a good wine glass makes. All our wine glasses are packed extremely well for shipping and arrive in great shape… Any problems and we ship a replacement at no charge!

Choosing a wine glass can be a bit of an adventure, but once you figure out how much you want to spend, it can be a lot of fun… the best part is actually filling the glass with your favorite wine and taking your first sip…. enjoy!