A Summary of the Best White Wine Glasses
- White wine glasses are crafted to highlight a white wine’s delicious aromas.
- Each glass has a unique design to fit different styles of white wine.
- No matter which white wine you drink, you’ll find the perfect glass for you and your wine.
- There are several styles of white wine glasses, but six glass styles stand out above the rest.
- These six styles are made to suit any wine drinker, no matter if you’re a novice or a pro.
- White Wine glasses differ from red wine glasses in a lot of ways.
- By following a few guidelines, buying incredible white wine glasses is easy.
Having the right white wine glasses is a must for any wine lover. With a little patience and knowing what to look for, it’s easy to find the best ones on the market.
Continue reading below to find out more about the top six styles of white wine glasses. You’ll also learn what to look for when making your purchase and what makes them different from their red wine counterparts.
In This Article
What Makes White Wine Glasses so Special
White wine is beloved for its crisp acidity, beautiful aromatics, and excellent food-pairing abilities. If you love wine, then you’ll probably find a white wine that you crave.
To get the most out of your white wine and its food-pairings, wine experts and glass makers have crafted superb glasses to suit your white wine. These glasses have unique characteristics and designs to fit each style, from bright and acidic to rich and full-bodied.
The six best styles of white wine glasses come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some have wide bowls to bring richer white wines to life, while others are long and narrow to concentrate flavors and aromas.
When you find the perfect white wine glass for your wine, the result is nothing short of breathtaking.
The Six Top Styles of White Wine
White wine glasses come in a diverse selection of shapes and designs. Each one has its function and style of wine it works best with.
Below are the six top styles of white wine glasses and which wines they work with the best.
Light-Bodied White Wine Glasses
Best with: riesling, sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, unoaked chardonnay, vermentino, pinot gris, chenin blanc, and gewurztraminer.
These sleek wine glasses condense the aromatics of your light-bodied white wine. This lets you pick up on your wine’s delicate aromas and experience the full acidity and palate immediately after sipping.
Light-bodied white wine glasses have smaller bowls and narrow openings to concentrate flavors and aromas. This design, combined with their long stems, helps preserve their cold temperature so you can keep your wine refreshing until the last sip.
Full-bodied White Wine Glasses
Best with: viognier, oaked chardonnay, marsanne, semillon, Bordeaux blends, and white Rhone blends.
Originally developed by the expert glassmakers at Riedel, these glasses are made for oaky, rich, and full-bodied white wines. They have a wider bowl and rim which accentuates the rich buttery aromas and full-bodied texture of some white wines.
Universal Wine Glasses
Best with all white wines.
Universal glasses are made to serve any wine styles, even reds. They mix the best features of each style of glass, so no matter what you use it with, you’ll be satisfied.
Although these glasses don’t highlight the specific tastes and aromas as their specialized cousins, they still work very well. These glasses are great for anyone just getting into wine or for serving everyday sipping wine.
Sparkling Wine Glasses
Best with: champagne, cava, sekt, and prosecco.
Sparkling wine glasses come in a huge variety of shapes. Each design has a different purpose, which depends on the drinker’s preference.
For people who want to preserve bubbles in white wine, champagne flutes are the best. These narrow glasses circulate bubbles in the bowl and will maintain your wine’s effervescence.
Tulips are another popular design which not only traps bubbles but allows for more room in the bowl to let the wine breathe. These glasses are great for more complex sparkling wines such as champagne.
Dessert Wine Glasses
Best with: late harvest riesling, ice wine, sauternes.
For fans of sweet white wines, these glasses are the way to go. They concentrate the rich aromas and textures into the nose of the glass, allowing you to pick up on the concentrated bouquets in these wines.
Miscellaneous White Wine Glasses
Best with various wines.
There are other special white wine glasses on the market that serve unique purposes for white wines. Glasses such as champagne coupes and cylinder wine glasses have their appeal and may be perfect for what you’re looking for in a glass.
What to Look for in a White Wine Glass
When you’re shopping around for the perfect white wine glass, it’s important to look for a few things. This way, you’ll always find what you’re looking for and choose the right glass for you and your wine.
First, always buy a glass that’s made from high-quality glass or crystal. These glasses are clear, making it easy for you to see your wine. They also won’t leave any nasty aromas like plastic or metal glasses.
Next, shop around for glasses that fit the style of wine you like to drink. If you love rieslings, you may not need a full-bodied white wine glass.
It’s also a good idea to choose brands that are trusted and popular with wine experts and drinkers. Companies such as Riedel and Wine Enthusiast are the cream of the crop for quality and design.
Finally, it doesn’t hurt to choose glasses with plenty of reviews from wine experts and sommeliers. These experts live and breathe wine and their opinion can sometimes be highly valuable.
The Difference Between White Wine and Red Wine Glasses
White wine and red wine glasses have several differences. These differences make them special and useful to have for anyone who loves tasting wine. Below are the common differences to look for.
Bowl Size
First, white wine glasses have smaller bowls which concentrate their flavors and aromas. Red wines have tannins that can overpower these glasses and taste harsh.
Stem Length
Another major difference is the stem length. Red wine glasses usually have a shorter stem. This is because that extra length in a white wine glass stem makes it less likely that your hand will warm up your wine.
Diversity of Shapes
White wine glasses come in more diverse shapes and sizes than red wine glasses. This is because there are more concentrated and nuanced aromas and qualities in white wines. It’s also because most sparkling wine is white.
Now You’re Ready to Buy Your White Wine Glasses
After researching more about white wine glasses, what to look for, and their differences, you can feel confident when buying a new glass or set.
It’s always important to shop around. There are plenty of high-quality and highly rated glasses on the market that will fit any budget.
No matter if you love racy rieslings or oaky chardonnays, white wine glasses will help improve your wine.
So take your time to decide which glasses to add to your wine collection. With a little patience, you can find the best wine glasses on the market that will fit your needs.
