The Second Glass

There comes a point in every wino’s life when your thimble-sized glasses from True Value Hardware just won’t cut it anymore. Either you appreciate your wine more or you just can’t stand to waste eight seconds refilling your glass when you should have been drinking. Either way, I’m not here to judge. All that is certain is that you need new stemware.

Buying stemware is a matter of personal preference and, of course, budget. However, there are some guidelines you should follow to get the most out of your wine. When you buy your new glasses, make sure that they are clear, so that you can have an unobstructed view of the wine, and that they taper in towards the top, so that the wine’s aroma isn’t lost, as well as enabling you to swirl your wine without spilling. Other than that, composition, quantity, style, and price are all up to you.

Crystal vs. Glass

What’s the big deal about crystal? Lead is added to glass to make it more malleable while the glass is being formed. This makes for thinner glass, rims, and stems resulting in a more “elegant” glass as well as a higher price tag. Glasses made from lead-crystal are also a little stronger.

Styles

You can buy a wine glass for almost every varietal imaginable. Should you spend that kind of money? The alternative is getting versatile glasses. Here are three styles of glasses that will get you through anything.

Bordeaux

The most popular shape is the Bordeaux style glass. This shape is designed for Cabernets, Merlots, anything from the Bordeaux region and other full-bodied wines that are high in alcohol and or tannins. If I were going to buy only one wine glass to last me the rest of my life, it would be a Bordeaux glass. The large bowl lets the wine aerate and fully develop in the glass. Theoretically, the rim of the glass is positioned so that the wine is dropped on the front of your palate where you detect sweetness. The thought is that it will accentuate the wine’s fruit, mellowing out the initial burn of the alcohol and bitterness of the tannins. The Bordeaux style is also well suited to whites, such as Sauvignon Blancs, Viogniers, and Rieslings. In my opinion, there are better glasses from which to drink some varietals, but if you only have place in your budget for one kind of glass, the Bordeaux style is your best bet.

Burgundy

The Burgundy style glass is a wider bowl that either looks more circular or tapers in more dramatically than a Bordeaux glass. This style is geared towards medium to full-bodied wines that are higher in acidity. There is even more breathing space in these bowls to let the wine develop, and the rims are similarly designed to drop the wine on the front-palate to smooth out the wine’s acidity. These glasses are good for really appreciating your Pinots, Chards or anything from… you guessed it…Burgundy.

Champagne

Now, you just got hired for your dream-job or you’ve just paid off your credit card, and decide to celebrate by buying some Cristal, putting yourself right back in debt. To really party like a rock star you have to be throwing down with some sparkling wine. So after you’ve shot the cork out of the bottle, sprayed your friends, and poured a little out on top of your head for good measure, you can’t just pour the remainder into a Bordeaux or Burgundy glass. You need champagne flutes. The Champagne flute shape makes all sparklers sparkle for even longer. The long shape naturally makes a stream of bubbles and the wine will take longer to go flat. Make sure when you are buying a champagne flute that it does taper in slightly at the top so that the wine’s aromas aren’t completely lost.

Brands

• Crate and Barrel has a huge stemware selection at great prices.

Their crystal glasses run about $8 and are pretty unique.

• Spiegelau makes good varietal-specific glasses for cheap ($12)
• Riedel’s Vinum collection is pretty suave. The glasses have super thin, elegant rims and stems, but you need a little more cash in your account to acquire these glasses ($21).

Now you’re an expert on stemware. Go out and get the glasses right for you, as long as they are clear and taper in towards the top. Remember, get glasses that you can afford to break– because they will, regardless of how careful you are.