Wine Glasses

[Tony S]

Bring it on.

Here's a seed: I love the Riedel "Veritas" series because they are pretty and thin and mostly effective and kinda sorta affordable. (Riedel has WAY too many lines. Many are "meh." Some are stupid expensive. The Veritas is good stuff.)

But I like the FUNCTION of the sharp-angled glasses along the lines of the Zalto and Jancis Robinson stems. Should I spring for a pair of something like that? If so, is there a more affordable option? Or what?

Anyway, I just want to hear what people who care about wine are using. Bonus points for how to keep them from smelling funny for the first half-glass.

 

[pete]

geez, I'd love to give a good opinion but I honestly haven't a hard belief in having to use specific glasses given many vary little.

I will say I like stems but they tend to die quickly due to others being clumsy. We have a few nice and thin walled glasses but the defaults are basic cheap thick and stemless.

I do enjoy glasses, I just seem not to make the effort except on special occasions to pull out anything high end. Really, it's my spouse who'll typically pull out the fancy ones.

We have a lot of older vintage stemware from parents, I find these give a nice personal emotion for what I'm drinking and seem affect my opinion of a wine more than perhaps the optimum glass.

one other thing I've noted, seems shapes change all the time. I understand and appreciate the idea of holding aroma but it seems many shape changes or styles are almost pushed to sell glassware.

 

[mdf]

i've got a few kinds of stemware that I would consider midrange. I'll pull some out and see what they are (and decide how i feel about them), maybe this weekend.

 

[cantunamunch]

We have a lot of older vintage stemware from parents, I find these give a nice personal emotion for what I'm drinking and seem affect my opinion of a wine more than perhaps the optimum glass.

I know, right? I think we have like 5 different cut crystal sets, not even counting the Christmasy/floral/painted ones. Matching sherry, port, and cordial glasses for the win.

The only thing we use the modern tumblers for? Scuppernong/Muscadine Jello

 

[Tony S]

Bonus points for pics if there is something you particularly love.

 

[Tony S]

Also: I am not a fan of lots different glasses for different kinds of wine. Totally impractical and unaffordable if you're not tasting for a living. Maybe, at most, a red, a white, a sparkling, and a dessert.

 

[cantunamunch]

Also: I am not a fan of lots different glasses for different kinds of wine. Totally impractical and unaffordable if you're not tasting for a living. Maybe, at most, a red, a white, a sparkling, and a dessert.

Disagree with this - for whites.

Maybe your friends/quarantine pod are more easygoing, but the only way I can serve both a dry white and a sugar-pandering crowd pleaser in the same evening is to put the dry austere one in a skinny no-nose-access glass that launches the stream down the center of the tongue. That goes double for anything with high acid or smoke flavours.

 

[Jilly]

I do prefer my bubbly in a flute than a saucer. For years at the cottage we had this wine glass that came with buying too much gas. Not the Calgary Olympic, but Texaco. They were small and green. After enough of them had broken, I picked up a dozen glass at Loblaws. So much better. But the Riedels....of ya.

I have 2 large ones that were given to me as a house warming gift some time ago. I haven't managed to break them yet. Also I have 4 large glasses that were part of a wine tasting night. I use those especially for good reds. They are perfect.

A few weeks ago my wine buying club did an online tasting with Riedel glasses. The idea was to promote the glasses, not necessarily the wine as some had the wine in their cellars and some didn't. So they have them for sale on the website.

I sold all my matching crystal stuff, and my Mom's when I moved. If I want good Reidel's I hit Winners or Homesense.

 

[Tony S]

Disagree with this - for whites.

Maybe your friends/quarantine pod are more easygoing, but the only way I can serve both a dry white and a sugar-pandering crowd pleaser in the same evening is to put the dry austere one in a skinny no-nose-access glass that launches the stream down the center of the tongue. That goes double for anything with high acid or smoke flavours.

Very interesting. I guess this just proves that I have no wine social life to speak of. Certainly not NOW. Anyway, I'm happy that I've successfully poked the bear a bit on this thread.

 

[Philpug]

I love our Riedel glasses but for the hot tub, our retro Pugski Govino ones are very good.

 

[jmeb]

We've got basically three types we drink everything out of, all are universal in style, all I'm very happy with each from a value and performance perspective:

- Stemless GoVinos. Just can't be beat for drinking rose in the park, bubbly in the ski parking lot, or packing for camping or any type of travel where wine may be consumed. Inexpensive, durable, decent for showing off a wine. https://govino.com/collection/red-wine-16oz
- Chef & Sommelier Sequence 16. Our daily drinking glasses. These stems are under $6 a pop, nice balance of durable crystal with no significant rim. Most anything tastes good and shows well out of these. And I don't worry about throwing them in the dishwasher, placing them in the sink, or sharing with clumsy friends or family on our one-too-many-bottle nights. https://www.webstaurantstore.com/ch...wine-glass-by-arc-cardinal-case/552L5633.html
- Gabriel-Glas, StandArt Universal. For when we are drinking something special, or having a special night, or having a wine that for some reason just doesn't seem to be showing to its presumed potential the Chef&Somms. At $32 a pop, these are not cheap, but I prefer them to anything but some Zaltos which I'm not about to pay for. We only have 2 of these in rotation, but haven't broken one in two years of regular use. If you prefer handblown, the same shape is available in that as well, but for half the price I'll take machine blown all day. https://gabriel-glasinternational.com/product/gabriel-glas-gift-box-standart-edition/

In general, I do not think white wines, and especially good bubbles, benefit at all in their showing from a narrower glass. I disdain good Champagne in flutes or saucers, give it to me in a good universal glass. Are there days I sort of think a huge Zalto Burgundy glass would be cool for particular wines? Hell yeah. Are there days I want to wash and polish such a thing, f*** no.

Oh...and because my wife thinks this photo from our wedding is hilarious -- Champagne Sanger Terroir Natal in the Chef and Somm glasses:


And Gran Reserva Cava going into GoVinos at the park for our Zoom call to family who couldn't attend cause of COVID:


Excited for @skibob to weigh in....

 

[Blue Streak]

I love our Riedel glasses but for the hot tub, our retro Pugski Govino ones are very good.

Those Pugski glasses are now collector’s items and should be stored safely with the Beanie Baby collection.

 

[Tony S]

I love our Riedel glasses but for the hot tub, our retro Pugski Govino ones are very good.

So basically the problem with my glasses is that I don't have a hot tub. This is probably a 100% accurate analysis.

 

[cantunamunch]

I do prefer my bubbly in a flute than a saucer. For years at the cottage we had this wine glass that came with buying too much gas.

The only thing I kept from one particular several-times-ex is the painted Perrier Jouet Fleur D'champagne glasses. It was our one successful wine compromise

Talk about buying too much gas.

 

[Jilly]

Talk about buying too much gas.

We had a 8 place setting of dishes, wine glasses, general drinking glasses...All Texaco "Star burst of bonuses". And some serving dishes too. Great way to furnish a cottage kitchen.

 

[cantunamunch]

We had a 8 place setting of dishes, wine glasses, general drinking glasses...All Texaco "Star burst of bonuses". And some serving dishes too. Great way to furnish a cottage kitchen.

Sure, that works.

My way of outfitting a cottage is a lot more dubious considering that even in the 90s a gift box with one bottle and 2 glasses was north of US$100 at most dealers pushers liquor stores interior decor shops.

 

[skibob]

We've got basically three types we drink everything out of, all are universal in style, all I'm very happy with each from a value and performance perspective:

- Stemless GoVinos. Just can't be beat for drinking rose in the park, bubbly in the ski parking lot, or packing for camping or any type of travel where wine may be consumed. Inexpensive, durable, decent for showing off a wine. https://govino.com/collection/red-wine-16oz
- Chef & Sommelier Sequence 16. Our daily drinking glasses. These stems are under $6 a pop, nice balance of durable crystal with no significant rim. Most anything tastes good and shows well out of these. And I don't worry about throwing them in the dishwasher, placing them in the sink, or sharing with clumsy friends or family on our one-too-many-bottle nights. https://www.webstaurantstore.com/ch...wine-glass-by-arc-cardinal-case/552L5633.html
- Gabriel-Glas, StandArt Universal. For when we are drinking something special, or having a special night, or having a wine that for some reason just doesn't seem to be showing to its presumed potential the Chef&Somms. At $32 a pop, these are not cheap, but I prefer them to anything but some Zaltos which I'm not about to pay for. We only have 2 of these in rotation, but haven't broken one in two years of regular use. If you prefer handblown, the same shape is available in that as well, but for half the price I'll take machine blown all day. https://gabriel-glasinternational.com/product/gabriel-glas-gift-box-standart-edition/

In general, I do not think white wines, and especially good bubbles, benefit at all in their showing from a narrower glass. I disdain good Champagne in flutes or saucers, give it to me in a good universal glass. Are there days I sort of think a huge Zalto Burgundy glass would be cool for particular wines? Hell yeah. Are there days I want to wash and polish such a thing, f*** no.

Oh...and because my wife thinks this photo from our wedding is hilarious -- Champagne Sanger Terroir Natal in the Chef and Somm glasses:
View attachment 115340

And Gran Reserva Cava going into GoVinos at the park for our Zoom call to family who couldn't attend cause of COVID:
View attachment 115343

Excited for @skibob to weigh in....

I actually don't like sparkling in a wide glass because of how fast the bubbles dissipate. But clearly I just need to drink faster!

We have a pair of stemless in really high quality polycarbonate. Very thin, but very strong. We use those on the porch, or when going anywhere with wine. The other unobvious advantage of stemless is that if wine is too warm, you can put them in a bowl of icewater. There is a restaurant nearby with great food and great wine list. But their red storage is too damn warm. But they use stemless glassware. So I always order red wine with a saucer of ice water. Always love the look when I get a new server.

 

[cantunamunch]

I actually don't like sparkling in a wide glass because of how fast the bubbles dissipate.

Note to self: try red bubblies in the stemless.

 

[skibob]

Note to self: try red bubblies in the stemless.

Aside from Brachetto (NOT Rosa Regale), what red bubbly is worth drinking?

 

[Tony S]

Aside from Brachetto (NOT Rosa Regale), what red bubbly is worth drinking?