5 best wine glass brands and why you should pay attention
As a wine lover, you have come across the array of glasses used while dining. You have probably sipped from decadent crystal glasses and that unforgettable experience has put you in the search for the best crystal glass brands for your personal collection. Sommeliers agree that there is a perfect glass to suit each style of wine served. Due to their delicate design Crystal wine glasses are great for enhancing flavour and keeping the temperature of wine.
In this article, I will show you why using the right stemware is so important with the added bonus of a selection of the leading crystal glassware brands.
Reason to be selective
There are certain considerations you should make when selecting the perfect stemware for serving wine:
Aeration
The single most important feature: How well the glass you are about to commit to will allow air into the glass.
Ideal glasses have a wide bowl and narrow mouth. As you swirl your glass, air mingles with the wine lifting the aromas to your nose. When your Sommelier mentions wet socks or apple tart aromas you pick them up too.
Clarity
This goes without saying. Though stained glasses make for good statement pieces, go for engraved versions like as this hand carved Cindy from Crystalex.
Handling
Use glasses with long stems so you can hold them without your hand touching the bowl and warming the wine.
Is there a specific glass for a specific wine?
The rule of thumb is Red Wine glasses have large bowls to help aerate. White wines need smaller bowls to help keep the temperature cold and for the same reason, Champagne flutes are made almost needle thin. This article goes into more detail.
5 of the best crystal brands
Crystal glasses are the gold standard of quality. They offer unmatched clarity and are delicate and noble enough to sit back and let the wine shine. Anyone whose ever drunk through a Baccarat glass will tell you ' they make wine sing'.
Baccarat
250+ years since its founding, this French brand continues to offer quality elegant crystal. It's museums should be bucket list destinations for every art and design lover. Their Château Baccarat Degustation set is a Sommelier favourite for it's simple elegance.
Waterford
Started by the Penrose brothers in the namesake village in Ireland, theirs is a story of resilience. Revived by glass-maker Kael Bacik, it makes the same great quality as at inception with its now iconic Lismore crystal glasses inspired by the brothers' cutting patterns.
Bohemia Crystal
Bohemia and the Czech Republic have a rich history of elegant design in crystal with traditional hand-cutting and blowing techniques still used today. Bohemia Crystal is a supplier of high quality statement crystal products such as these crystal wine glasses.
Key: To prevent lead poisoning modern unleaded crystal glasses use Zinc or Titanium Oxide.
Luigi Bormioli
Family owned for 25 generations, the Bormioli family creates delicate, revered works of art to pair with different styles of Italian wines. The Vinea Malvasia/Orvierto glass is a good example.
Moser
A testament to the potential of passion! Ludwig Moser started his workshop to make beautiful pieces of drinkware soon became world renowned boasting royalty clients. His legacy lives on in the masterful craftsmanship of Moser brands . Made by hand, this Paula 7000 classic is carefully blown, cut, engraved and gilded with gold.
Bonus!
The Cindy tall red wine glasses from Crystalex offers a glass for every wine. Port, White, Pinot Noir, Red and Champagne.
Remember, a good wine glass should be;
• Easy to handle.
• Good quality.
• Matched to its style of wine.
Your wine experience will be rewarded by the value of finding the best wine glass brands for your home or restaurant.