Types Of Wine Glass

There are four basic types of wine glasses – red, white, sparkling, and dessert. On this page, you will learn about each of them.

Components of A Wine Glass
All wine glasses will have a base, a stem, and a bowl.

Today, there is one exception - the new stemless wineglass that has become extremely popular.  

The base, obviously, allows your glass to stand upright.

The stem allows you to hold your wine glass without the heat from your hands warming your wine, and without creating smudges on the bowl which will distract from the visual enjoyment of your wine.

The bowl serves a very important purpose and it is here you will find most of the variation in wine glasses.

Wine Glass Shapes and Sizes
Every wine glass will have a slightly different shape, depending upon the type of wine that particular glass is to be used for.

All good wine glasses are shaped in a way that will direct the wine to the part of your mouth where its flavor will be most appreciated.

The bowls of all wine glasses will be tapered upward with a slightly narrower opening at the top than at the bottom. This shape helps to capture and distribute the wine's aroma toward your mouth and nose.

In all types of wine glasses, both red and white, the bowl must be large enough to swirl your wine, opening it up to more air and allowing its aromas to be released. Swirling your wine is not just for the connoisseur or the haughty, it really does serve a very important purpose.

Red Wine.

A red wine glass bowl will be fuller and rounder with a larger opening to allow you to dip your nose into the glass to detect aroma. And, as mentioned above, the complex aromas and flavors of red wine demand a glass with a larger surface area so the wine comes in contact with more air.

For red wine, you may want both a Bordeaux and a Burgundy glass. A Bordeaux glass is taller, yet the bowl is not quite as large. It is designed for full bodied, heavier red wines such as Cabernets and Merlots. The tallness of the glass allows the wine to proceed directly to the back of the mouth to maximize its flavor.

A Burgundy glass is for lighter, full bodied wines such as Pinot Noir. It is not as tall, but the bowl is larger than the Bordeaux glass, directing the wine to the tip of the tongue to taste its more delicate flavors.White Wine
A white wine glass bowl will be more U shaped and upright allowing the aromas to be released while also maintaining a cooler temperature.

For white wine, you may also want two types of wine glasses, one for younger, crisp whites and one for more mature, fuller whites.

The wine glass for younger whites has a slightly larger opening directing the wine to the tip and sides of the tongue to taste its sweetness.

The glass for more mature whites will be straighter and taller to dispense the wine to the back and sides of the tongue to taste its bolder flavors.

Champagne Flutes
A sparkling wine glass (or flute) will be upright and more narrow to retain the carbonation and capture the flavor in the beverage.

Dessert Wine Glass
A dessert wine glass should be smaller to direct the wine to the back of the mouth so the sweetness doesn't overwhelm. Dessert wines generally have a higher alcohol content, making the small glass perfect for a smaller serving.

Wine Glass Material

To truly appreciate the color and texture of your wine you'll want to purchase wine glasses that are clear and smooth. Taking note of the color of your wine, the “legs” of your wine, and how the light affects your wine are the first steps in evaluating and enjoying it.

The best and most practical wine glass will be made with crystal or thin glass.

Crystal or a similar glass, especially blown glass, are preferable because they are thin. Thicker glass is thought to affect the taste of your wine and to create a larger lip, making it difficult to properly sip your wine.

The types and number of wine glasses you purchase is very much a matter of personal preference.

For the average wine drinker, the four basic types of wine glasses may be all you need. For those who wish to expand their enjoyment, appreciation and knowledge of wine, you may want to invest in the more specific types of wine glasses mentioned above as well.

You can purchase good wine glasses at a decent price that may be fine for your everyday enjoyment of wine. Or, you can spend quite a lot of money on very high quality stemware that may enhance your wine tasting and drinking experience. Let your wallet and your pallet decide.

Feel free to browse my Vintage Glassware which I currently have for sale.

Wine Glass Facts

About Lead Crystal

Lead crystal, a heavy, durable glass prized for its brilliance and clarity,
has traditionally been the material of choice for fine wine glasses since the 17th century.  It added sparkle and clarity and the softer glass it produced made it easier to etch or engrave the intricate designs of the day.  Fortunately, as concerns have surfaced regarding the long-term safety of lead crystal use, modern glass-makers have discovered non-toxic alternative additives that allow the same fine quality without the risk.  Oxides and elements like Boron and Titanium add brilliance while producing a harder more resilient crystal.

How much risk is there? 
Not so much for the wine glass user but more for the environment around the glass factory and the workers in it.  However, there is general agreement that it's not a good idea to store acidic or alcoholic beverages in a lead crystal decanter as some leaching is a possibility.

The state of California does require the posting of Proposition 65
which warns of potential dangers, including birth defects, from consuming food or beverage served or kept in leaded crystal vessels.

Bottom line?
As some of the finest stemware in the world is still available only in lead crystal, it will continue to be sold.  But, it no longer should be a purchasing criterion.  More of today's leading stemware manufacturers are producing their top brands exclusively from lead-free crystal.
Crystal Wine Glass Attributes

Clarity 
This means free from distortion, designs, etchings and color.  The glass should allow the color of the wine to show clearly and let ambient light pass through.

Wine glasses need a certain amount of thickness for strength but should be gracefully thin to show off the natural beauty of the wine.  This is especially important at the rim of the glass, which should be perfectly smooth and barely noticeable at the mouth in order to enhance the tasting experience.

The stem is not only an aesthetic consideration but a practical one as well.  Its purpose is to separate the warmth of the hand from the wine and preventing finger prints on the bowl while allowing one to properly swirl the contents.  The length should be firmly but smoothly attached to both the bowl and the foot to prevent breakage.  

The glass can be different heights but should always be elegant, balanced and remain stable.  An ideal foot is wide enough to prevent tipping over, flat to prevent wobbling and always in proportion to the glass itself.

Hand or mouth-blown glasses are made as the name suggests by individual, highly-skilled artisans who control each aspect of the glasses they make.  Thinner, lighter, perfectly balanced, these glasses are barely there, ensuring an optimum delivery of wine to palate.  Not surprisingly, no two hand-blown glasses are exactly alike.  There are minute differences which are a mark of authenticity or character.  Most hand-blown glasses have a stem which is pulled from the bowl. This adds strength as well as beauty.  The finest hand-blown glasses show the desirable qualities more than their machine-blown counterparts but the differences are narrowing.  Click here to see a Riedel video showing the process.

Machine-made glasses are made by injecting molten glass into molds.  Modern technology has continually improved the process to the point where these glasses are of very high quality.  Some machine-made wine glasses even have pulled stems.  Some have additional reinforcement where the stem meets the bowl or foot.  One additional point is that the glasses are very uniformly made.  There is virtually no variation in a production run.
Crystal Care

Generally, dishwashers should be avoided for lead crystal.  Not only is breakage likely for these softer glasses but the harsh alkaline chemicals in auto-dish detergents leave a residue and can actually etch the surface of the glass.  This process is accelerated by the heating cycle at the end of the wash.  This also applies to metal-accented glasses (gold trim).

An auto-dish product, Cascade Crystal Clear with Shine-Shield, has an additive designed to neutralize these caustic elements while preventing cloudiness and etching.  Even so, it is best to use the "crystal/china" setting and air-dry cycle.  Lead free crystal can be safely washed in a dishwasher but long stems are always an issue.  There is an accessory called StemGrip that is designed to hold them securely.  Update: A new product, Quantum Finish Powerball does a wonderful job on lead-free crystal glasses, leaving them sparkling clean at normal settings.

Traditionally, for sparkling clean glasses, we recommend washing by hand with a mild dishwashing soap (Ivory is ideal).  Follow this with a thorough hot rinse and dry quickly with a clean cotton or linen towel.  Try to avoid twisting the stem counter to the rim as this can cause breakage at the weakest points, the rim and where the stem is attached to the base.

Clean wine decanters by filling them half-full with moderately hot water, a small amount of mild detergent (Ivory), two tablespoons of white vinegar and a half-cup of uncooked rice.  Swirl the rice around to remove residue.  Rinse well with moderately hot water and air dry upside down on a rack.

Feel Free to Browse the Wine Glasses I have currently for sale.

18th-century piece of Qianlong is worth £53 million

A vase that was sold for £53 million at auction was called a fake by a BBC expert on an antiques programme, it was claimed .

The 18th-century piece of Qianlong-era porcelain smashed the world record for Chinese artwork at auction , leaving its "utterly normal" owners in shock. The vase's former owner, who recently died, had taken the piece onto Going For A Song about 40 years ago and an unnamed expert had declared it a "very clever reproduction". 

David Reay, the manager of Bainbridges auction house in Ruislip, said: "The piece was sold by a 70-year-old woman and her son and daughter. We were clearing her brother's house after he died and I looked at the vase and said: Oh, that looks nice'. It had just sat on the bookcase doing absolutely nothing. "They told me it had been valued at just £800 two months earlier. They also told me the owner had taken it on Going For A Song on the BBC about 40 years ago. He was told it was a very clever reproduction."

 It is believed the expert could have been the late Arthur Negus who was the resident expert and valuer on Going For A Song, forerunner of the Antiques Roadshow, between 1966 and 1976. A panel of experts would examine the objects and give their opinion on date and value. Negus would then present the actual age and worth. A BBC spokesman said: "We are not in a position to add anything or comment at this point." Auction house staff today described the brother and sister, who wish to remain anonymous, as "utterly normal" and told how they had to be taken outside for some air after the sale. The piece had been expected to fetch between £800,000 and £1.2 million. Peggy Bates, 61, who works for Bainbridge's and was at the sale, said: "The room was crackling with excitement. The couple were down in the middle of the audience but no one knew." Mr Reay added: "She told me she wished it had happened 30 years ago." Ms Bates told how the pair remembered the vase as "just an ornament".

 It is thought to have been in the family since the Thirties and was passed down from someone who did a lot of travelling. The vase was sold after 30 minutes of furious bidding to a Chinese man, said to be a Beijing-based agent, who refused to comment after the sale. Standing 16 inches tall and elaborately carved, the vase is thought to date from about 1740, the time of Qianlong, the fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty. The hammer fell at £43 million but the total price, including commission and VAT, was £53,105,000. 

Auctioneer Peter Bainbridge returned to the rostrum 30 minutes later and said: "Come on now ladies and gentlemen, let's get back to business." Ms Bates added: "He carried on with the furniture sale. He was selling items for £50 straight after selling one for £50 million." 

View Vase & Seal Mark Here