Just One Glass Please
Now, you wouldnt expect a glassware company to co-sign my approach, but Austrian crystal brand Gabriel-Glas is all about the one-for-all method. I spoke with Tempe Reichardt, CEO of Gabriel-Glas North America, who wholeheartedly agreed that the concept of selling varietal-specific glasses is an antiquated one. Life is simpler with a universal glass, she tells me, which is why her brand only offers one style of wine glass, available in two different quality levels . Instead of investing a ton of money in a broad selection of different glass styles, Reichardt recommends spending more on your wine collection. Of course, buying less things is, in general, also better for the environment.
I personally own both versions of the Gabriel-Glas all-purpose glass, and the Gold Edition is quite possibly the most exquisite vessel Ive ever sipped wine from. It is impossibly thin Reichardt says that lead-free crystal can be spun very finely, resulting in a finer lip than what regular glass can yield.
Best Rated: Schott Zwiesel Pure Collection All
With an average of 4.7 stars from over 2,400 ratings, these all-purpose wine glasses from Schott Zwiesel are clearly a popular choice on Amazon for both reds and whites. They’re made with lead-free crystal glass and are dishwasher-safe, which makes them great for everyday use. “These are by far my favorite wine glasses that I’ve ever had,” wrote one customer. “They’re stylish and lightweight, while still being sturdy and strong. I love that the Tritan glass helps to prevent chips and breaks, which makes me hopeful that I’ll have these for years to come.”
To buy: $28 for two
Does Your Glass Need A Stem
Stem versus no-stem is a personal choice however, Rudzinski, notes While I am not opposed to stemless models of glassware I would always select a wine glass with a stem. The main reason here is keeping the temperature of the wine constant. Additionally, a stem allows for more control to swirl and aerate the wine – which displays more aromas.
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Stemless Vs Stemmed Wine Glasses
If youre anything like me, you probably have friends that feel very strongly one way or another about stemless wine glasses. On one hand, theyre more casual, save a bit of space in your cabinets, and are flexible enough to use for things other than wine, like cocktails, beer, and even soda. However, if youre a purist or looking to take your hobby to the next level, stick to glasses with stems. Not only are they easier to swirl , but youll avoid bringing the wine up to body temperature by clutching the glass, which is especially important if youre a white wine fan.
Best Wine Glasses Of 2020 According To A Sommelier
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As if learning the vocabulary, geography, and producers in the wine world isnt challenging enough, there are also different types of glasswareand figuring out the best wine glasses is no small feat. In the last couple of decades, glass manufacturers have made a killing off of creating dozens of glassware lines and convincing wine drinkers we need multiple types of glasses to be serious about wine. Although the glassware section of my book, Wine for Normal People, wound up on the cutting room floor, this is a topic my podcast listeners love to ask about and one I was excited to reexamine.
I guess we should start with the most important question: Does a glass really make a difference to a wines taste? After copious research and testing, I can tell you that glassware does matter to your enjoyment of wine. Certain glass shapes and materials do enhance wines aroma and flavorand some even detract from it! I tested several highly regarded wine glasses and found the best premium, mid-tier, and affordable options for all kinds of wine drinkers.
Ahead, discover all the winners and a thorough breakdown of our testing methods. Weve also included a primer on the merits of different wine glass shapes.
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Types Of Wine Glasses: Sizes Volume Height & Why They Matter
Wine connoisseurs or sommeliers believe that the glass contributes to the wines taste. Just like all things, wine glasses have undergone many developments and grew into multiple arrays. But just how much have they grown all through the years?
Here are the types of wine glasses and why their dimensions, volume, and height matter.
And That’s The Standard Wine Pour
The average wine pour differs from types of wine but not among glassware. If you’re drinking regular wine, it’s 5 ounces. Fortified wine? 3 ounces. Wine tastings? 3 ounces. And dessert wine, 2 ounces. You should also look into gluten free wine brands for all of these.
Training bar and restaurant staff on standard wine pours and standard liquor pours can benefit your bar’s pour cost in a big way, especially when your wine menu or digital wine list includes wine by the glass. It’s the same benefit a standardized recipe brings in the kitchen. Overpouring with a bottle at tableside is primarily irritating to the guests. Some guests may not want more than a serving of wine, and pouring too much too early can prevent the 5th wine-drinking guest from getting a full serving. When it comes to other types of alcohol, you’ll also want to know how many ounces in a pint.
Book a demo and let one of our experts walk you through exactly how BinWise Pro helps thousands of people across the country build efficient, profitable beverage programs.
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Stolze Grand Cuve All
When it comes to wine glasses, I am all about durability and practicality. The Stolzle Grand Cuvée All-Purpose Wine Glass is sturdy and well-balanced, due to the glasss seamless shape, without compromising on elegance. These are our wine glasses of choice for tastings at the shop Ive found they are so reliable not just for delivering an enjoyable drinking experience, but also for staying intact after every use . The Grand Cuvée collection is made from 100% lead-free crystal, so the glasses remain shiny and clear wash after wash, too. Emilia Alvarez, Wine Consultant and Project Manager at
Spiegelau Salute Bordeaux Wine Glasses
In my experience, these glasses are quite close in quality to Riedel and the shapes are similar as well, so if you’re on a budget but still want something proper to drink from when you’re at home, this is a great choice. Dustin Wilson, Master Sommelier, co-founder of Verve Wine and star of the film, SOMM
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How To Measure A Wine Pour
If youre curious about how to figure out how much wine in a glass youre pouring without using a measuring cup, a little practice can help you learn to eyeball a perfect 5 ounce wine pour.
Regardless of the shape of wine glass that you use, pouring wine until you reach the point where the glass is at its widest is a 5 ounce pour.
With a tall, skinny champagne flute, pouring wine until youre about 2 inches from the top of the glass is a good rule of thumb.
If you cant seem to pour a perfect 5 ounce pour without a little help, a wine glass with ounce markers is a great way to perfect your pouring skills.
A 5 ounce pour may look slightly different in various wine glasses.
Its great fun to line a bunch of different types of wine glasses next to each other so that you can see what a 5 ounce pour looks like in different glassware.
Best Overall: Schott Zwiesel Universal Stemless Wine Glasses
Whether you prefer red, white, or rosé, you can reach for these Schott Zwiesel stemless wine glasses. They have a universal shape that accommodates most types of wine, and they’re made of tough crystal glass that’s actually dishwasher-safe. Even people who don’t usually drink out of stemless wine glasses call these their “go-to” glasses. Customers especially love how versatile they arethe stemless wine glasses can be used for everyday beverages as well as cocktails. “These are now my favorite all-purpose glasses,” one wrote. “I use them for wine, water, soda, tea, and just about everything else. They appear fragile but they are surprisingly durable. Other fine glasses are always hand-washed, but I feel comfortable putting these in the dishwasher.”
To buy: $48 for 6 at
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This Is How Much Wine Is Safe To Drink Per Day
What happens when you drink wine every day? The side effects are not as bad as you may assume. In fact, it can do a body good. Wine has some great health benefits. It just so happens to be the best beverage to drink regularly for a longer life, it may protect your heart, it could reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and it can help reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol levels.
But if you want to reap these benefits rather than drinking alcohol’s downfalls , then you’ll want to make sure you’re drinking the right amount of wine. So how much wine is too much?
You’ll often see the same phrase again and again when it comes to reaping wine’s health benefits: it has to be in moderation.
What moderation means according to the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans is up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. For wine, a drink is defined as 5 fluid ounces at 12% alcohol by volume.
While this is the USDA’s recommended limit for those who drink, it is not a recommendation to actually consume that amount of alcohol. According to the USDA, “those who do not drink should not begin to drink because they believe alcohol would make them healthier.”
That being said, alcohol can be consumed at low levels with relatively low riskand can actually offer some health benefits if you make sure to consume it in moderation. Let’s take a look.
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Eat This, Not That!
Iso Wine Tasting Glass
As the name implies, the International Standards Organization glasses are best for tasting wine. They are practically the standardized structure of a wine glass. They help the taster measure the aspects of wine, such as shade and clarity. They are designed to enable scrutiny to the greatest extent of the taste, look, and smell.
The rounded bowl, which is approximately 3 inches, allows the wine to be swirled easily without any spillage. The rim also helps keep all the fantastic aromas of the wine while enhancing it. They can hold about 10 ounces of wine and are about 7 inches tall.
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Best Wine Glass For The Casual Wine Drinker: Spiegelau Vino Grande
This little glass outperformed much more expensive glasses with its thin lip, excellent bowl for swirling, and ability to concentrate aromas. The red and white glasses are thin, but felt sturdy enough that I never worried about breaking them. They go into the dishwasher and come out in one piece. For the money, these glasses are the little engine that could. They came in third or fourth place in tasting every single winefrom Nebbiolo to Malbec, Chardonnay to Grüner Veltliner. This is an elegant everyday glass and it blows away its competitors . I will warn that although the white glass is spectacular, it is quite small in comparison to the Burgundy glass. It works great, but it can be surprising when you open it, especially in comparison to the ample size of the Burgundy glass.
Most Unique: Mark Thomas Double Bend Glass
Courtesy of Kneen and Co
The two bends on this Bordeaux-style glass mark a perfect tasting pour and the ideal single-glass pour. I stick to a Bordeaux glass as it’s the most malleable of the wine glasses, says Jonathan Key, the beverage and bar manager of The Preacher’s Son and Undercroft. Bordeaux glasses are meant for your main Bordeaux grapes but it’s also a great glass for Chardonnay. Bordeaux glasses also work well for a lot of old-world wines like Tuscans and Tempranillos.
Though they are whisper-thin and special-occasion worthy, pop them in the dishwasher when youre done with them.
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How Much Wine Is Really In Your Glass
People arent great at guessing how much theyre drinking, and that can be bad for healthbut new devices may help.
We hear a lot about alcohol and health. Some studies say a little bit of booze might be good for the heart. Others disagree, noting flaws in the way these studies were conducted. In any case, drinking can be a delicate titrationtoo little and you might be missing out on a health benefit. But too much alcohol not only feels terrible the next day, it can also be really, really dangerous.
The problem, though, is that alcohol quantities can be challenging to figure out. You might know your limit is two glasses of wine, but what size are the glasses? And how strong is that wine?
For researchers, the fact that people dont know how much theyre drinking is one of the reasons it’s challenging to pin down the positive and negative effects of different quantities of alcohol Annie Britton, an alcohol epidemiologist, and her colleagues at the University College London have been studying the longterm effects of alcohol consumption in a group of civil servants in the United Kingdom since the 1980s. And since the study began, the amount of alcohol in wine has increasedas has the volume of wine poured at bars and restaurants.
We as researchers need to look into our data sets,” Britton says, Are we stuck using what we were doing 20 years ago, which may have been appropriate then, but do we, who collect these survey data, need to think that through a little bit?
Does Your Wine Glass Really Matter
Wine lovers have long been told that certain glasses are absolutely essential to optimize specific vinous characteristics or emphasize a particular pour. The truth, though? While some shapes may enhance your perception of wines like Burgundy and Bordeaux, what they really offer is visual enjoyment and a sense of occasion.
So, sure, all those sheer silhouettes do improve your experience, but those who dont have the space or budget for an array of styles can savor wine at its peak just as well from a single, top-quality piece of universal glassware.
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What Kind Of Wine Glass Should I Use
As a general resource, heres a chart for studying what kind of wine glasses to use for each type of wine:
We recommend using varietal specific wine glasses to enhance the enjoyment of your wine consumption.
Full-bodied red wine: Large Bordeaux glass. The larger surface area allows the aroma to build and features a smoother tasting wine, as it helps to mitigate the tannins. Consider a Merlot, a Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux blend.
Light-bodied red wine: Aroma Collector Bourgogne glass. The large round bowl helps corral the subtle aromas within lighter-bodied red wines.
Spicy red wine: Standard red wine glass. These glasses have the small opening perfect for shaping and softening the spice of light to medium blends. Try a Syrah, Zinfandel or Malbec here.
Sparkling wine: Champagne flute. A self-explanatory choice for, you guessed it, sparkling wines.
White wine: White wines generally do best in glasses with smaller bowls, which preserve the aroma, maintain a chilly serving temperature and help showcase the wines acidity. However, fuller-bodied white wines should be served in glasses with bigger bowls, such as a smoky Chardonnay.
Fortified sweet wine: Port glass. That is all.
However, if you need help alleviating some of the pain of this new serving size knowledge, we recommend using a smaller wine glass. It will give you the idea that you are actually having more wine. A larger wine glass that looks half empty may tempt you to fill it up.
Red Wine Glasses Vs White Wine Glasses
If you take away anything from this article, let it be the difference between red wine glasses and white wine glasses. Nail that, and youre more than halfway there. As a general rule of thumb, red wine glasses should always have a wider, roomier bowl than white wine glasses. This exposes more oxygen to the surface of the wine in your glass, allowing the full-bodied flavors to open up and strut their stuffthis is where you get all those yummy notes typically associated with red wine, like spices, pepper, while also toning down the tannins.
On the flip side, white wines often dont need as much aeration to open up and therefore are fine being housed in wine glasses that are slimmer, with smaller rims. The shape also helps maintain a cooler temperature for the white wine and better expresses the acidity white wines are known for. There are, of course, exceptions to every ruleif youre partial to an oaky chardonnay , youll likely get better tasting notes using a glass that has a larger bowl.
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A Bottle A Day And Liver Disease
Drinking a bottle of wine a day can also eventually cause liver damage. How quickly? That depends on your overall health.
According to one article5, severe alcoholic liver disease is often linked to drinking 20-40 grams of ethanol a day for women, or 40 to 80 grams for men, over 10 to 12 years. A bottle of wine generally has enough ethanol in it to meet, or exceed this level.
So, while you may not see the impact immediately, its important to be aware of what effect wine is having on your liver. If youre concerned, its always possible to get a liver enzyme test from your doctor to see where you stand.
Before your program I was a daily drinker. Mostly wine but mostly the entire bottle in one sitting. Since taking your counseling and the miracle drug naltrexone, I am finally rid of the temptation to drink.
Although drinking a bottle of wine a day isnt healthy, it may seem normal. If you have friends who drink the same amount, and you frequently see memes on social media about having a bottle to yourself, you may not think its that serious. However, its possible for the habit to be normal in your circle, but abnormal from a health standpoint. Does that make you and many of your friends alcoholics?
After going through all of the questions with a healthcare professional, theyll count your score to figure out which subcategory you fall into.
