The Best Wine Glasses, According to F&W Editors and Sommeliers

Best Classic Universal Wine Glass

Gabriel-Glas StandArt Crystal Wine Glasses

$68 at Amazon $68 at Wine.com View on Mygabrielglas.com

Spot this Austrian crystal glass in a store and you might guess that it retails for about twice the actual price. This set of two from Gabriel-Glas is a truly one-for-all option with seamless construction and a wonderfully light but durable design. The bell shape feels like a throwback to older wine glass designs, but the subtle flare of the bowl makes it ideal for swirling and enhances the nose of every sip.

Golden Age Wine owner Brandon Loper found this glass sturdy but elegant. “Nicely balanced, and there is a deceiving amount of weight in the funnel portion of the stem,” he says, ”It looks delicate, but it is in fact quite solid.” Our somms and experts were surprised by the price of this glass, given its excellent quality and performance while sipping the Beaujolais and Cava. “This is a true universal glass. It can handle anything and everything.“

Best Value Universal Wine Glass

Glasvin Wine Glasses

$50 at Food52 $80 at Wine.com View on Glas.vin

The Glasvin Universal wine glass is one of our top choices and has piqued our interest for a few years. It’s satisfyingly versatile, handling both reds and whites as well as sparkling wines with the right balance and ease. The lip is pleasantly smooth, and the bouquet came through across three wine styles thanks to the classic bowl shape. “Drinking from the glass is comfortable. The shape of the bowl and the size of the mouth is a nice size,” says Trent Stewart of Golden Age Wine, “You can get your nose in it well enough for the complete aromatic effect.”

Sommeliers noted that the delicate design is elegant if a little precarious—the stem is thinner than some other models, which makes it slightly top-heavy. If you’re clumsy with glassware, we’d recommend something with a more durable design. Overall, we feel it’s a worthwhile purchase, especially for the price, and we felt it outperformed almost every universal glass except the Zalto and the Josephine No. 2.

Editor-Favorite Wine Glass

Josephinenhütte Josephine No. 2 Wine Glass

$220 at Amazon View on Josephinen.com

A head-turner for serious wine enthusiasts and glassware fanatics, the Josephine No. 2 glass earns the top shelf for our bar cabinets. "Kurt Zalto is inarguably one of the world’s best glassware designers," says Food & Wine Executive Wine Editor Ray Isle. Although outside investors pushed Zalto out of the company that still bears his family name today, he founded Josephinenhütte, which now produces wine glasses with one-of-a-kind craftsmanship. The mouth-blown glasses are hand-finished in Europe in a painstaking two-day process. According to Kurt Zalto himself, “Finding a glassmaker who can make this glass is complicated—15 out of 2,000 people at our factory can do it, and even then, they have to train for three months.”

After testing, we can only say that the Josephine No. 2 glass is exceptional. It is truly a universal glass and works equally well to bring out aromatics in red wines and flavors in white wine, and it easily holds up the effervescence in sparkling wines. "The first time I saw his new universal glass, with its distinctive shape, I thought, 'Well, that’s ... unusual looking,'" says Isle, "Then I picked it up, felt how beautifully balanced it was, tasted through a number of different wines with it, and thought to myself, 'Dang, this may be the best wine glass I’ve ever held.'”

Sommeliers who tried this glass remarked on its elegant and thoughtful design, with perfect balance and a unique shape that focuses on aromatics. It brought our great flavors and notes that other glasses didn’t manage. "Is it an expensive stem? No doubt. Is it both a joy to hold and a pleasure to drink from? Absolutely," says Isle, "If you’ve got a wine lover in your life, giving them a pair of these would make them very happy indeed. Not that I’m hinting or anything."

Best High-End Wine Glass

Zalto Denk'Art Universal Wine Glass

$156 at Amazon View on Wine Enthusiast View on Themanufactory.com

There are all the other wine glasses, and then there is the Zalto. Undeniably a showstopper, the finest European crystal stem and bowl is topped with an impossibly thin and beadless rim. The wine community will immediately recognize this brand, hallmarked by lightness and excellent effects on aromatics and flavors.

“This is what I would expect at a fine-dining restaurant with a smart wine program,” says Food & Wine Editor-in-Chief Hunter Lewis, “It’s a gorgeous glass, and I love the wide base compared to the thin stem, and it’s very easy to swirl. I think it’s a good all-purpose for any red or white or if you’re going through whites and reds at dinner.” The nearly weightless feel and versatility make this glass a special investment. Sommeliers agree that the ratio of the base to the bowl and mouth makes it one of the most balanced glasses you’ll find. The glass design allows complex aromas to bloom and allows you to taste the nuance in your favorite wines exceptionally well.

"I use many kinds of glasses, but for special occasions, I love Zalto glasses," says Joel Gott, founder of Joel Gott Wines. "They are so thin and beautiful and can make drinking a special bottle even more special." Hall uses Zalto for Chardonnay and sparkling wines, calling it "a feat of glass-blowing art that is hard to fathom." 

Even though they're surprisingly strong and durable, you'll want to handle them with extra care since they're still delicate and pricey. This is a glass to impress a serious wine drinker, collector, or connoisseur. “This is a higher-end brand, and you are going to pay for the quality,” says Lewis, “As long as you are willing to hand wash and take care of the glass, it’s worth the investment."

Best Red Wine Glass

Wine Enthusiast Somm Pinot Noir Wine Glass

View on Wine Enthusiast

If you aren’t an amateur wine drinker and you’re looking for an excellent red wine glass that won’t cost an arm and a leg, the Wine Enthusiast Somm Pinot Noir glass has every element you could want. Sommeliers swooned over this glass, calling it “visually striking” and noting the excellent bowl shape for aggressive swirling, catering to red wine lovers. “This glass almost works like a decanter given its large surface area even with larger pours, making this glass a good option for bolder (and/or older) wines that need adequate time to fully open,” says Level 2 somm Laura Newman.

F&W Editor-in-Chief Hunter Lewis was also taken by the beauty of this glass. “I love that you can see the legs coming down this glass, and for red, that’s important to me.” As the name suggests, this glass is great for lighter reds, like Pinot Noir and Beaujolais. The teku shape on the glass brings out the aromatics in all red varietals, allowing a full spectrum of flavors on the palate without losing the aromas on the nose. “It’s easy to get half of my face into the glass,” says Lewis. He also felt that despite the large volume, there is a substantial base and stem to support it. “It doesn’t feel too dainty.”

We would use this set when having company over. “This is a stunningly beautiful glass,” Lewis says, “It’s something worthy of a splurge or something that could elevate even a $15 bottle.” It’s perfect for small dinner parties and cheersing—the "clink" resonates with a satisfying, deep chime.

Best High-End Red Wine Glass

Josephinenhütte Josephine No. 3 Red Wine Glass

$220 at Amazon View on Josephinen.com

The Josephine No. 3 is what we’d consider a splurge for discerning red wine drinkers or wine collectors. The large bowl aerates the wine easily in the glass and brings out the variations in color between a Beaujolais and a Bordeaux. Wine glass purists might not love the unusual shape, but the performance of this glass brings the full spectrum of aromas and flavors to reds. According to sommeliers, the wine rolls off the palate with “effortless grace,” matching the nose perfectly. It rivals Zalto in every aspect.

We loved the weight of the glass, the height, and the ease of swirling, especially for fuller-bodied reds. The balance is just right, even given the larger bowl, and it’s easy to hold. “I would drink any red wine out of the glass, and white wine for that matter,” says Editor-in-Chief Hunter Lewis, “I think it’s a beautiful glass. Absolutely my favorite.”

Our experts and editors agreed this isn’t a glass for everyone, given the price and specialized style. “I think it’s a statement piece, a great showcase for special wine, and a great way to elevate your everyday house wine as well.” Unsurprisingly, it’s definitely hand-wash only and not for everyday use. “You’re paying for the quality,” says Lewis, “This is not the glass to break out at your party—this is for smaller and more intimate settings.” It’s certainly a luxury if you can afford it, but a set you’ll keep forever and a tool serious wine drinkers will treasure. “I’d be very happy with this as a gift,” says Lewis, “I’d be very happy to pour a glass for friends while entertaining. I would be proud to own it.”

Best White Wine Glass

Richard Brendon x Jancis Robinson The Perfect Wine Glass

$98 at Food52 $135 at Bloomingdales View on Richardbrendon.com

If you’re more likely to opt for a Chablis than a Cabernet, this glass is the right choice. The slightly thinner shape and tapered form brings out the best in white and sparkling wine varieties—less so for bold reds, for which we’d recommend a universal glass above or a dedicated red style. It has a delicate feel but is made with durable lead-free crystal. 

If you’re not a hardened connoisseur of wine, this set will be perfectly serviceable for most varietals. It’s not going to pick up on the same nuances that the Josephine or Zaltos might, but it’s an excellent style to own or gift for white wine-loving households. "I love the Jancis glasses. They are an example of the move towards universal glasses," says Isle. "It's definitely more affordable than buying a different glass for every grape.”