Red wines can be unyielding, their flavors and aromas wrapped up in layers of tannins that take hours to unfold, but a well-designed wine glass can be extremely helpful in speeding along that process. We found that the unique design of the Josephine No. 3 allows the wine to be swirled vigorously with very little risk of any splashing out. Additionally, the wide surface area aids in aeration, and the flowing tapered design effectively conducts all those newly-released aromatics up to the nose. This is a purpose-built vessel for the red wine lover who doesn't shy away from making a definitive visual statement. Wine glasses are designed with stems to keep your warm hands off of the bowl of the glass, which will warm the wine. Stemless glasses were designed to be compact for storage and cleaning and less prone to breakage. If you tend to serve everyday “house” level wines, or if you have a lot of kids and dogs running around your parties, stemless might be the way to go for safety’s sake. However, if you enjoy higher-level wines, having stemmed glasses on hand can be worth it to enjoy them properly. Additional reporting was done by Amina Lake Abdelrahman, a commerce editor, and Laura Denby, a WSET Level 2 Award in Wine and Spirits Ask any professional, and they’ll tell you that Zalto is somewhat of an icon in the world of wine, with the Denk’Art line among its most widely beloved. This Austrian brand was even one of the first to introduce hand-crafted and mouth-blown functional glasses to the market, according to Shira Tsiddon, sommelier at The Norman Hotel in Tel Aviv. The beauty of these 23-ounce style-specific glasses, she says, is the combination of elegant, clean lines, thoughtful design inspired by the Earth’s tilt angles, and its versatility to function in a fine dining setting and a cabinet at home. The concept of buying varietal-specific glasses is antiquated and can be quite overwhelming,” notes Justin Wilson, the director of outlets at SAAM Lounge. “Simply stated, life is simpler with a universal or all-purpose wine glass. A high-quality stemmed universal wine glass will accommodate most if not all, wines across the spectrum.”

Riedel’s VINUM Viognier/Chardonnay Glass is versatile, lightweight, and durable but elegant looking—and at an accessible price point. If you’re looking for something special, the Zalto Denk'Art Bordeaux Glass is an industry favorite and won't disappoint. I guess we should start with the most important question: Does a glass really make a difference to a wine’s 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 wine’s aroma and flavor—and 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. This glass won our product test of the best wine glasses and is widely considered the gold standard of glassware by wine connoisseurs and professionals alike—it’s definitely worth the splurge. Slightly Less Money but Still Great: Riedel Veritas

Depending on your reasons for buying glassware, you need to think about the size of the bowl. If you’re more of a red wine drinker, you’ll need a bigger bowl to properly swirl and aerate the wine and a smaller bowl for white wines. The actual height of the glass is something to think about, too. How does the glass feel in your hand? You don’t want it to feel too small or too big. Weight I recommend storing them standing upright because there is a much less chance for chipping at the top of the glass. If they are very expensive glasses, you can always save them in the box they came in and take them out when you use them. There are also wine storage boxes you can use as well,” says Shapiro. The world of wine glasses is vast and full of wonders. The right glass can take an everyday Cab and make it taste sublime or bring out aromas you'd never catch with an ordinary glass from your special occasion bottle. Whatever your entertaining style or wine knowledge, every home deserves a quality set of stems, whether you're hosting the whole family for the holidays or unwinding on the couch on a Friday night. There are five ounces in a standard pour of wine, which equates to five glass per 750-milliliter bottle. If you need to stretch a bottle to six glasses, try to only pour four ounces.

For reasons of hygiene and safety, personal grooming products, cosmetics or items of intimate clothing cannot be returned. The main difference between “standard” non-varietal red and white glasses is usually in width. Red wine glasses usually will have a wider bowl profile since reds tend to need more air to make them sing. White wine glasses will have a taller, narrower bowl, which can help them retain their cooler temperature. You can serve red or white in pretty much any glass, so if you want to buy one set, look for a universal style glass, which splits the difference. The bowl might be larger than a standard white glass but less balloon-shaped than a traditional red glass. With so many styles available at a wide range of price points, shopping for wine glasses can be overwhelming. Getting insights from wine experts, though, can ease the process—especially now that the wine scene is moving toward a more pared-down approach to glassware. “I’ve noticed that people aren’t into individual glass shapes as much as they used to be,” says Doreen Winkler, a natural wine sommelier and founder of the wine club Orange Glou. “People want to simplify the wine-drinking experience,” she says. “You don’t need a burgundy wine glass to drink burgundy.” Still, specialized glasses will always have their place in fine dining and for the serious, at-home drinker. This Pinot Noir glass did equally well with red Burgundy, Nebbiolo, Bordeaux and more tannic reds but didn't allow for quite the nuance of flavors and aromas in red wine as the winning Zalto glass. Best Wine Glass for the Casual Wine Drinker: Spiegelau Vino Grande One of the major superiorities about Zalto Denk'Art Wine Glasses lies in how light [they are],” says Tsiddon. “When pouring the wine and holding the glass up, you cannot feel it exists; the glass is nearly transparent, both visually and physically,” she says.“[It] makes the wine taste even more majestic than it usually does.” If you’re looking for something that looks and feels luxurious, these Bordeaux glasses—designed for rich, full-bodied reds—are your best bet. And although these wine glasses may be pricey, the thin lip, light weight, and elegant stem of a Zalto glass show off a great wine to its best advantage.Different types of glass or crystal are more appropriate for various environments,” describes Diane Clemenhagen of Geraldine’s Austin. “A busy restaurant or bar will need something a bit more durable while your home collection might get less use and can be more delicate. A good rule is the less you use it, the more delicate you can go and vice versa.” Material: Hand-blown crystal | Capacity: 25.9 ounces | Dimensions (HxW): 9.1 x 4.3 inches | Dishwasher safe: Yes Material: Crystal | Capacity: 12.3 ounces | Dimensions (HxW): 7.75 x 3 inches | Dishwasher safe: Yes Even though it is crafted from machine-made crystal, the glass feels delicate and elegant enough to upgrade your daily drinking routine (though at this price point, you won’t flinch if you break one). If you drink a lot of wine, you know that cleanup is a really important factor. Although we’d all love to painstakingly clean our wine glasses by hand, dry them with a specialized micro-fiber towel, and set them in a well-lit display case for all to see their spotless gleam, most of us have jobs, many of us have families, and none of us want to waste time cleaning wine glasses at the end of the night. If it’s hard to care for a glass, that factors into its overall goodness. A Sommelier’s Final Thoughts on What to Buy