Wine glasses

A wine glass is a stemmed glass sized to let wine breathe, with the stem there so your hand never warms the bowl.

  • Hold the stem - a hand on the bowl warms the wine
  • Pour to the widest part of the bowl, not to the rim
  • One mid-size glass covers most of a bar's needs

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Showing 1–24 of 98 results

Bowl size is the decision. A bigger bowl gives the wine more air and concentrates the aroma at the rim, which suits reds; a smaller one keeps whites cooler for longer because there is less surface exposed. Most bars settle on one mid-size glass for everything and pour to the widest point of the bowl rather than to the rim.

Common questions

Do I need separate red and white wine glasses?

Not to start with. A single mid-size glass of around 35 to 45cl serves both perfectly well, and most bars run exactly that. Separate shapes are worth it once you are pouring enough of each to notice the difference.

What does a lined wine glass mean?

It has a measure line etched at 125ml, 175ml or 250ml. If you sell wine by the glass in the UK you must serve a stated measure, and a lined glass is the simplest way to pour it accurately and prove it.

Why are wine glasses stemmed?

So your hand stays off the bowl. Body heat warms wine noticeably within a few minutes, and a white served at the right temperature will not stay there if you are gripping the bowl.

Have a look at

Gin glassesBeer glasses