By: Allen Franklin
Submitted: 2009-08-14 17:27:18 | Word Count: 526
If you want to enjoy wine and other fine drinks, you need set of quality stemware—wine glasses, martini glasses, champagne flutes, and tumblers. This can be a great gift to ask for, especially if you’re registering for your wedding. First, you need to put some thought into what exactly you want.
Glass or Crystal Stemware?
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There are three main types of stemware, but you shouldn’t even consider one: plastic. Yes, you can find plastic wine and martini glasses out there. But it will ruin both the taste of the drink and the atmosphere of any party you throw.
The real choice is between glass and crystal. Glass is less expensive. Crystal costs a bit more, but it’s also more attractive because it reflects more light. When you hear crystal, you think fragile; however, crystal stemware is actually more durable than glass stemware. Older crystal glasses had lead added. Today you should look only for lead free crystal stemware to avoid any harmful health effects.
Finding the Perfect Stemware
Once you’ve decided between glass and crystal, you should look for a quality set. Don’t just register for the prettiest thing you see online. If you can, actually go to the store. Look for a mostly clear glass. While some pattern or design can be nice, you want to be able to see and appreciate the wine.
Next pick up the glass. Does it feel sturdy? Does it feel thick enough? You don’t want to choose a flimsy set of stemware and have it break while you’re cleaning it. Do the glasses hold enough wine? The bowl of the glass should allow for an ample sized portion with room for you to swirl the wine without spilling any.
If you’re shopping online instead of in an store, you obviously can’t check out the actual wine glass. Instead, make sure it’s dishwasher safe. This tells you the glasses are sturdy. Also look at how many ounces the glasses hold. A normal serving of wine is 5 8oz, so you need a glass that holds at least two to three times that.
Which Stemware Pieces Do You Want?
Consider what stemware you need. For a basic stemware set, you want three types of glasses:
• A taller, narrower glass for white wines. This glass helps keep white wine cool. It also guides the more delicate scent of white wine to your nose.
• A larger, rounder glass for red wine. This gives the more complex aroma of reds room to breathe.
• A tall flute for champagne or sparkling wine.
Other glasses are up to you. If you enjoy martinis, throw in a martini glass. Some people enjoy drinking wine from a tumbler at less formal occasions. Stemless wine glasses are also becoming more and more popular.
Finally, buy enough stemware to serve yourself and any guests. Four wine glasses and four champagne flutes is a good start, as that will accommodate two couples. If you regularly entertain larger parties, take that into account. But you don’t have to buy the entire set now. Mixing and matching different styles is always fun.
