The Best Wine Glasses for Every Type of Drinker

A choice of glass can make or break a wine. After all, you’d never pour a first-growth Bordeaux into a solo cup. 

There’s a world of glasses to pair with whatever it is you’re drinking, from elegant stemware for multi-course dinners to durable options for a backyard hang. How you drink wine is your decision—-the glassware is just the gateway to the experience you’d like to have.

“I love glassware,” says Alex Cuper, the sommelier of El Che Steakhouse and Brasero Chicago. “I truly think this is one of the joys of drinking wine, whether it’s an ultra casual drink in a park, on the beach or in a beautiful Michelin tasting menu drinking out of vintage crystal.” 

But with so many options, what to buy can get confusing so we asked pros to weigh in on the best wine glasses for every type of drinker.

For the Always-Entertaining: Vienna Break-Resistant Glass

“I like to host,” says Alberto Ghezzi, the sommelier of Lucciola on the Upper West Side. “It’s part of my hospitality background and lifestyle. The type of wine you drink will stick in your memory, and you will remember the people you were with, what you were talking about and, of course, the wine and the emotions that it gives you.”

When he has guests over, he serves wine in a Vienna Break-Resistant Universal Wine Glass. It has a universal shape, which he says makes it suitable for buttery Chardonnay, crisp Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese or Cabernet Sauvignon. Even Champagne. “I like Champagne in a universal glass—I can appreciate the complexity of the nose more,” says Ghezzi. 

He also appreciates the thinness of the glass and how it balances elegance with durability. “I refrain from drinking from a thick glass,” he continues. “It kills me.” Plus, at $25 each, a broken glass (which is bound to happen at a party) won’t break the bank.

For the Off-Duty Parent: Riedel Stemless Chardonnay Glasses

“While I personally love and appreciate a beautiful, thin-stemmed, delicate wine glass, I gravitate towards stemless glasses when I’m at home,” says Allison Kafalas, the director of beverage for Hilton Americas, including Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, Curio and Signia hotels. 

Why? “There’s less risk of my rambunctious kids knocking it over and wasting the expensive wine!” 

Riedel Stemless Chardonnay glasses are her pick. “They’re functional yet elegant,” she says. Bring them camping to parks, or anywhere a dog can knock over a good glass.

For the Stylish Sipper:  Zalto Universal

Paula de Pano, the sommelier-owner of Rocks + Acid in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, finds that it’s the little things that really up the ante of your drinking experience, so she’s a strong advocate for Zalto’s gold-standard universal glasses. 

It’s a sommelier darling, and for many reasons: “from its ethereal lightness, the unmistakable feeling of being part of something aspirational yet also practical, and how its swirl feels,” says de Pano. 

She doesn’t reserve these glasses for only “good” occasions. “Let’s be real—they’re for a fleeting moment of luxury after a rough day at work or when girl dinners need an added sparkle," she says. “All my wine milestones in the past decade were poured in a Zalto.” 

For the Dinner Party Host: Riedel Veloce

“As both a wine lover and a professional sommelier, Riedel’s Veloce Cabernet/Merlot wine glasses are a great option for a dinner party tablescape,” says Travis Hinker, an advanced sommelier and the corporate beverage manager at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle in New York. He finds they offer a unique design and “exceptional functionality,” plus they’re “an excellent conversation starter for wine nerds.”

Additionally, “these glasses help aerate the wine and allow for a complete expression of the aromas, ensuring every sip is enjoyed to the fullest,” Hinker says.

For the Occasional Drinker: Aria Universal Handblown Wine Glass

Maybe you’re not the host of a behemoth dinner party, but you still have friends drift by for a glass every now and then. Ghezzi recommends the Aria Universal Hand Blown Wine Glass. 

“I love this glass for its look and its ultra-thin stem and rim,” he says. “It feels like a hand blown glass, yet the cost isn’t as prohibitive for something this high-quality. Pour a wine with character and age and let it express itself as your evening unfolds.”

For the Serious Collector: Zalto Denk'Art Universal Glass

Some occasions call for the big guns. “When I meet with wine friends, we focus on discovery and collecting,” Ghezzi says. “We’ll open Chateau Margaux 1986, Coulee De Serrant 2011, Cristal 2008 and Tignanello 1977. These dinners are wild, and we need the perfect glass.”

Zalto’s Denk’Art glasses—inspired by the tilt of the earth—are built for full-bodied and powerful wines but are equally excellent vessels for old Burgundy, rich white wines from the Loire Valley, and vintage Champagnes.

For the Drinker who Values Variety: The Somm Universal Handblown Wine Glass

Cameron Tyler, a French Wine Scholar and CMS advanced sommelier at award-winning Montana ranch The Resort at Paws Up and The Green O, notes that universal-shaped glasses will excel for anything from sparkling to heavy reds. 

Why? The stem reduces heat transfer, which preserves the temperature of the wine. “The Somm Series Universal Hand Blown wine glass is a great example of this,” he continues. “It has the ideal shape with a large base and serves as the glass I use for all my grape beverages.” 

For Sparkling Wine Aficionados: Zalto Denk'Art White Wine Glass

Kate Webb, a certified sommelier and the co-founder of Sun Moon Rising, a just-launched wine brand, knows her suggestion will be controversial, but she thinks an all-purpose white wine glass is great for everything, including Champagne. 

“Yes, that's right flute lovers, we're raining on your parade, and despite what the movies tell you, you're actually confining the essence of the gorgeous sparkling wine and losing the full experience,” she says. “If you want to really impress someone at your next dinner party, greet your guests with your favorite sparkling wine in a white wine glass.”

Zalto’s is the gold standard here—luxurious, slender and elegant.

The Beach Goer: Shatterproof Outdoor Stemless Wine Glasses

“First thing's first, I am of the belief wine can be enjoyed in anything,” says Cuper. “I love walking to the beach in Chicago with a bottle or two, and while I wish I could afford to take my glassware with me from home, I don't really want to run the risk of breaking it.” 

His solution? A couple mugs (ideally ones with sentimental value, though anything durable will do). 

“Look, I know it isn't going to express aromas or flavors as well as a wine glass would, but I am also not bringing vintage DRC to the beach on a summer day,” he continues. “The nostalgia and sentiment of the coffee mug adds just as much value to drinking a wine as a nice piece of crystal would for me, especially with friends on a beach.”

Alternatively, a shatterproof stemless wine glass is a good bet.

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More Glassware Coverage

• Here’s when to use every style of Champagne glass.
• We make the case for using varietal-specific glassware.
• What’s the difference between red and white wine glasses?
• How the Nick and Nora glass moved from the silver screen to your cocktail bar.
• The seemingly basic rocks glass is actually genius.
• Are expensive wine glasses worth it?

Published: October 1, 2024