I hope everyone had a good New Years Eve and good New Years day. I know there are alot of posta on here in regards to stemware and i have searched for an answer in this but can not find what i am looking for.
My question is i have a set of mid level white wine glasses that get used every holiday or family get together as that is when there are people around other than me to drink wine and all of my family prefers a sweeter white wine to where even this past christmas i had a Selbach mosel riesling incline that my aunt would not try.
I need a Burgundy, and a bordeaux glass for myself and am wondering what i should go with and if i shiuld also buy a nice white wine glass for myself as i do drink a bottle of wine every weekend?
Welcome, Jim! Tons of great info to be found in here.
This is a wide open question that has many possible answers, and will elicit a great variety of opinions.
It would be helpful to know what your budget is, as that is a pretty key determinant of what glasses you should look at.
Personally, we use Riedel Restaurant and Schott-Z for just about everything, and they have a nice balance of function and value.
Many fans of Zalto, Gabriel Glas here. Those are awesome, but $$.
I also consider replacement when buying glasses. My grand unified theory (“All glasses break”) is indisputable. So, if you buy some glasses you like, but can’t get replacements, you’ll eventually be stuck without a matched set, especially if you have company.
It is also my opinion that you don’t need a bunch of different glasses for a bunch of different wines. I find I use bowls (usually sold as “Burgundy” glasses) for most wines, including sparklers.
Thank you Nate. I am looking for a Burgundy and Bordeaux glass for just me as everyone that comes over only drinks white wine and i have a set of white wine glasses. And i believe that is the only full set that i need. So am just looking for recommendations for those two and wondering if i should buy a nice white glass for myself or just us3 my set of whites when it is just me drinking a white.
I guess that’s a question that only you can answer, in terms of value and your preferences. However, the Zalto and Gabriel Glas stems are absolutely great, and if you are only buying for yourself, the outlay would not be extravagant.
There are frequently some good deals on glasses on Berserker Day, so consider waiting for that!
Like Nate said, there’s a ton of opinions on stemware.
Lots of people aren’t convinced that varietal specific glasses are the absolute best way to go. A good universal will work very well for virtually all wine, and there also many who, for example, use a “burgundy glass” for Bordeaux and vice versa. I have a mishmash of all kinds and tasted a lot from them, but find myself using a (so-called by the manufacturer) “white wine glass” for most everything, mainly because everything tastes good from it and I like the size, shape and feel.
Re: your “should I buy a nice white wine glass for myself?” question: I’m of the opinion that the host should (whenever possible) drink from the same glasses the host gives to the guests. So, if I were in your situation, and wanted to buy a nice white wine glass to use when my family comes over, I’d buy enough to pass around to everyone. YMMV.
As to your other question: right now, Grassl makes my favorite glassware, and I’ve heard of folks drinking reds from their Liberte, Cru, and 1855 stems.
When you’re drinking with others, use the same stemware, and this is where you want to focus on quality for the money. If what you have works, stick to it. I see what you mean about something for yourself…and if the intention is to use those alone with the special bottles, then you can’t go wrong with Grassl, Glassvin, Gabriel Glas Gold, Josephine, and Zalto. These are all hand blown, so you’re looking at high price (40-80 per glass) but also the most beautiful, ultra thin construction. My experience has shown me that having the “perfect” glass for each wine isn’t nearly as important as just having a good, delightful glass in general, so I’d personally suggest getting four “universals” from one of the above mentioned brands, which are phenomenal glasses, and instead of just having one super nice glass for yourself, you’ll always be ready to treat someone (or a small group) who appreciates wine as much as you to a world class experience.
I would need to get 6 from one of thise brands as i can have up to 6 people here that would potentially drink wine. Out of curiosity what would be the “universal” from those brands?
Some brands have a glass they call “universal,” implying that one glass works for everything. Don’t know offhand which brands have this.
My opinion, bowl/“Burgundy” glasses do well for most wines, except maybe the ones with gigantic bowl capacity.
I know it’s a cliche, but I strongly advise doing a search on the names of brands like Grassl and Zalto and Glassvin to find the major stemware threads. There’s a huge amount of information already shared. Yes, it will require a bit more work on your part to read and sift and apply the comments to your exact questions, but there are a lot of people who will not respond here because the subject has been discussed so much already. You will ultimately find those threads worth the time, I think.
Indeed it has, but none of those threads will tell you what will work for you. Price, style, washing logistics…all may play into it.
Try to find retail locations (or restaurants) that stock these so you can kick the tires.
I can only reemphasize waiting for Berserker Day, though.
ReIdel makes a line called Vivant. Sold exclusively at Target. Sold in sets of four. Easy to replace. They have a set of red wine glasses, and a set of white, plus lots of other types (champagne, beer, etc.). Most of the ones you would be interested in are $40 for four, but sometimes they go on sale. I have quite a few, and I like them a lot. You don’t have to tell your guests that they came from Target. As usual, the name Reidel is etched on the base. That’s all your guests need to know.
