Unique Wine Glasses

Traditionalists Say No

A wine traditionalist will probably tell you that unique wine glasses detract from the wine drinking experience. They usually hold this opinion because they are looking for a wine glass with specific characteristics to help the wine to be fully enjoyed such as:

• A clear bowl, so that the clarity of the wine can be evaluated.
• An uncolored bowl, to let the color of the wine to be seen.
• A stem, particularly on a white wine glass, to hold the glass without warming the wine by touching the bowl.

Types of Unique Wine Glasses

Wine drinkers often enjoy fighting wine tradition by giving and receiving unique wine glasses. The fun of using the special glass can often add to the enjoyment of the wine itself. A wine can take on a whole new feeling when enjoyed from a wine glass with your monogram or when you hold a stemless glass of a fine red wine while you sit around and talk with friends.

A gift of a set of specially-designed glasses can be an excellent gift to a wine drinker instead of another bottle of wine. The uniqueness of specially constructed crystal glassware can be a cherished gift and a memorable way to mark a special occasion.

Not all unique wine glasses are used on a regular basis – some may only be used for display purposes in the wine drinker's home. A richly-decorated port decanter and glasses with 24k gold decoration purchased on a trip to Italy may hold a prominent place in the dining room; however, they may only be used on rare occasions, if at all.

Stemless

Stemless wine glasses are the traditional wine glass in Italy. The Italians use these "wine tumblers" for both red and white wines. The stemless wine tumbler was first introduced to the American wine drinker by Riedel, an Austrian crystal maker. Stemless glasses are now available in a wide range of bowl shapes and sizes to compliment the different types of wine.

Stemless glasses are available for white wine; however, holding the bowl of the glass will quickly raise the temperature of a crisp cold white. On the other hand, the stemless glasses designed for red wines allow the wine drinker to warm up the wine helping the wine release its bouquet of aromas.

Breathable

German glassmaker Eisch has introduced a "breathable" crystal stemware with a special molecular glass structure designed to aerate the wine right in the glass. In less than five minutes, wine poured into a breathable wine glass will have many of the same taste and aroma changes which would have taken thirty minutes to two hours of aeration using a decanter. White wine and young red wines lend themselves particularly well to the breathable glass, with the glass quickly enhancing the wine's aroma and flavor.

Eisch breathable wine glasses are available in three distinct lines:

• Superior - Larger and taller than other Eisch breathable glasses
• Vintec - A glass with a wider bowl bottom to enhance the aeration process
• Vino Novile - Traditional wine glass sizes and shapes

For tips on selecting the best wine glass... watch this slideshow!

Decorated

Hand painted and 24k gold-embellished wine glasses are produced by most of the major international glass manufacturers and are widely-available in blown glass styles in Italy. The decoration is often wine-oriented, using grapes, grape leaves and grape vines.

That doesn't mean you can't find wine glasses with other decorative themes. In fact, a quick search through the Internet will show you everything from relatively inexpensive Christmas wine glasses and fun painted glasses to more expensive decorated glasses etched with monograms or designed to be used with matching tableware.

Colored

Colored wine glasses are often used for decorative purposes – either for display or to enhance a tablescape. Colored stemware is often used to coordinate with the color theme chosen for the table. An assortment of brightly colored glasses can add a fun punch of color to a birthday party table. Rich red wine glasses might take center stage on a holiday table, while pastel glasses can add to a Spring-themed party table.

A wine traditionalist will tell you that colored glasses can make it very difficult to evaluate the color and clarity of the wine – both important factors in wine evaluation.

More Wine Glass Resources

• See a slide show of the various shapes of wine glasses
• Get tips on caring for wine glasses
• Learn about the different types of decorative wine glasses
• Read about the different types of wine glasses

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