In seminars around the world, representatives of glass companies are spreading their gospel of glass and converting even the most skeptical of wine drinkers. What they are preaching is this: if you’re serious about wine, you should be serious about your stemware. Wine simply tastes better in better glasses, they say.

Wine glasses have always been crucial for wine tasting among aficionados. “Good glasses bring out the best in wine,” says Khun Tiwa Yenwattna, the Premier Sommelier at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok’s renowned Le Normandie restaurant.

In addition, it’s not enough to buy the highest-quality stemware you can afford—you also should be buying the right glasses for the wine you are drinking. Most of us are aware of the “three glass” rule: one for Champagne, another for red wine and a different one for white. But top producers of stemware such as Riedel, Spiegelau and Zwiesel 1872 offer a wide range of glasses that include some designed for appellations (areas, such as Bordeaux) and varietals (grapes, such as merlot).

Can science really re-engineer the way we enjoy our old grape juice? Or do we just think a certain glass makes a wine taste better because it’s prettier—or more expensive?

The Basics

The characters of each and every wine can be distinguished by color, aroma and taste. The complete wine tasting experience is all about enjoying these three elements Wine glasses are meant to offer smooth delivery from the bottle to you.

Material. Because of its color, sight is the first sense wine appeals to. Feel free to judge the book by its cover, observing the color and the consistency of the liquid will roughly indicate age and types of grapes, or even alcohol content. Wine aficionados swear by colorless, transparent, and unadorned glasses, just the bare essentials.

Stem. Wine is a living thing, and performs best at a certain temperature. Any heat interference will undesirably hinder aroma and taste. The glass stem acts as a buffer between you and the wine to prevent your body heat from being transferred to the content inside the glass. Plus, it also allows you to hold the glass comfortably without leaving greasy and smudgy fingerprints, which would prevent you from truly appreciating the wine’s beautiful color.

Size. The point is that the glass should be able to hold a sufficient amount of wine and allow you to swirl it around without spilling it, in order to release the bouquet. It’s a careful balance between being big enough to hold a good portion, containing the aroma, and yet releasing it to your nose.

Shape. The shape of a wine glass defines its purpose. The egg shape or tulip shape, where it is wider at the base and narrower at the rim, will form an air bubble containing the wine’s bouquet and increase the intensity of it toward your nose. When it comes the time to experience the love at first sip, a thin and polished lip will carefully direct the flow of wine to the proper area on your tongue. The thinner the better.

Methods and Materials

Traditionally, glassware was made by artisans who blew the glass into the desired shape. Nowadays, industrial automation has become more conventional. The handmade/mouth-blown method is believed to be superior to machines due the superior craftsmanship of glassblowers that produces thinner walls and lips.
Crystal is both colorless and allows for unadorned glasses, but the popularity crystal enjoys is mostly courtesy of its uniquely reflective surface, especially for lead crystal. Lead increases shininess as well as density compared to typical glasses. The end result is strength and a more polished appearance. Unfortunately, the beauty of lead crystal comes at a price, as it has been linked to food safety issues (see below).

Get the Right Glass

Wine tasting is as subjective as things get. Sommeliers (professional wine tasters) have lent their expertise to glassmakers to make stemware that brings out the best in each wine, capture its essence, and create the perfect harmony between wine and glass. New breeds of wine glasses are now available that promise to maximize your wine tasting experience through the use of touch, sight, smell and taste.

Cabernet Sauvignon and merlot, red wines famous for their strong flavor and full to medium body, are best drunk from tall, wide-bowled glasses, for example. Glasses with even wider and larger bowls help to reveal the delicate bouquet and light to medium body of pinot noir. Also, due to pinot noir’s sweetness and low levels of tannin, the lips of pinot noir glasses are designed to direct the flow of the wine to the tip of your tongue, where tastebuds that sense sweetness are located. The same rules also apply to glasses for white wine. So a chardonnay glass might be slightly taller than a sauvignon blanc glass to flatter its oak and toasty personality.

Does this mean we should all run out and buy a different glass for every wine that we plan to drink? Most of us aren’t so sophisticated about wine that we worry about a wine’s toasty personality being lost in the “wrong” glass. And even if we accept that our wine-drinking experience would be different with a different glass, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it would be a better experience. In the end, your choice of wineglass is like wine itself: it’s about what you can afford—and what makes you happy.

Get the Lead Out

Lead crystal may release lead into the food with which it comes in contact. On the plus side, the amount of lead in crystal is typically well below the maximum allowable amount by law. Regardless, there are steps you can follow to minimize any possible risk:

1. Use lead crystal only when serving, not storing.

2. Soak your new crystal glasses in vinegar for 24 hours and rinse thoroughly before using.

3. Wash by hand with mild detergent. Dishwasher detergents can damage the surface of the crystal, causing more lead to be released.

Tender-Loving Care

The following tips will guarantee your investment will last a lifetime—assuming you don’t drop your investment, that is.

1. Wash glasses under warm water, detergent is optional

2. Dry them by placing on top of a towelupside down

3. For extra shine, steam over boiling water

4. To polish, use two linen tea towels. Hold the glass at its base and polish by using your left hand to cradle the bowl while polishing with your right hand. Never twist the base and bowl, which could cause the stem to snap.

Holding the glass to the light is the best way to check for its cleanliness or any leftover smudges.

The Contenders

Riedel

Sommeliers Collection (B3,300-4,800)
This Austrian-based crystal maker has been around since 1756. It is considered to be one of the most trusted names for both amateur and professional wine enthusiasts. Its Sommelier Collection is widely used by several major hotels and resorts worldwide including Le Normandie at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. The Collection features large wine-specific tailored selection of handmade / mouth-blown full-lead crystal stemware. Available at Emporium and Siam Paragon.

Spiegelau

Adina Collection (B,1400-1,500)
Recently acquired by Riedel, its collection features large selections similar to its sister company, however, at lower prices. Adina Collection offers handmade / mouth-blown non-lead crystal stemware for cautious spenders. Available at Emporium, Siam Paragon and Central Chit Lom.

Zwiesel 1872

The First Collection (starting from B,2,300)
Enrico Bernado, an award-winner from the world sommelier competition in 2004, has helped create this extensive collection of 18 wine glasses and 2 decanters. The collection won the RedDot Design Award in 2006. It is handmade / mouth-blown non-lead crystal. Available at Emporium Siam Paragon, Central Chit Lom and Zen.