Best wine glasses: The finest glassware for your favourite red, white and rosé wines
From crystal to everyday basics, these wine glasses will take your tipple to the next level
Planning a drinks party? Kitting out your new kitchen? Before you uncork your Sauvignon, Sancerre or Syrah, finding the best wine glasses is a must.
While looks are important, there is more to a good glass than aesthetics alone. A well-designed wine glass will have a shape that allows the wine’s aromas and flavours to circulate within the bowl, as well as keep the wine temperate.
Red wine glasses tend to have a wide, shallow bowl that allows air in to help open up the bouquet. Glasses intended for white wine will be tall and narrow, with long stems to prevent your hands from warming the wine. Read on for more tips on choosing the finest glasses for your needs, followed by our list of the best available to buy.
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Best wine glasses: At a glance
- Best budget glasses | Villeroy & Boch White Wine Glasses
- Best for wine buffs | Riedel Veritas Champagne Wine Glasses
- Best luxury wine glasses | Tom Dixon Tank Wine Glasses
How to choose the best wine glasses for you
How much should I spend?
The price of wine glasses range from a couple of pounds for a supermarket multipack to triple figures for high-end, designer crystal glasses.
We’d recommend spending somewhere in the middle, and a good rule of thumb is to only spend what you can afford to break – as accidents do happen. For everyday use, spending around £15 on a glass will get you something fabulous. Special occasion glasses will have a price tag upwards of £40 if they’re handmade or crystal, rather than glass.
What should I look for in a wine glass?
Wine glasses should be perfectly clear in order to properly observe the wine’s hues. So however pretty those pink, amber or gold goblets may be, you should step away from the brightly coloured glass if you want to appreciate the age of your Burgundy.
The same applies in terms of texture. Wine buffs tend to prefer plain, smooth glass and crystal, rather than ornate leaded crystal or textured glassware that might obscure the wine’s appearance. Decorative details are fine, however, so consider glasses with a hint of sparkle, subtle markings or interesting, coloured stems if you’re looking for something a little bit different.
Finally, most glasses today are sold as dishwasher safe, but it’s always worth checking before you purchase that they won’t become cloudy or spoiled if not hand-washed.
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The best wine glasses to buy in 2022
1. John Lewis Connoisseur Stemless Red Wine Glasses: The best for casual dining
Price: £40 for set of four | Buy now from John Lewis
Stemless wine glasses tend to divide people. Fans of this contemporary shape claim that it makes for a sturdy glass that allows wine to breathe, while naysayers point out that stems allow wine to be kept well clear of hot hands. This glass has been designed by Waitrose’s wine experts with red wine in mind, so temperature is not so much of an issue. We like that the extra wide bowl allows aromas of wines such as Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon to circulate, while the tapered design means all those delicious aromas and flavours are forced upwards for best enjoyment.
They’re made in Italy from SON.hyx, a hi-tech crystal glass with all the same properties but specially engineered for extra strength and clarity – all the better to admire your wine with – and better resilience to cloudiness from dishwashers, so that crystal-clear sparkle will last and last. A great-value, casual and hardy everyday wine glass to swirl your reds next to the fire.
2. Dartington TL Signature Series White Wine: Best for everyday
Price: £20 for set of two | Buy now from Laithwaites
Dartington Crystal is always reliable when it comes to drinkware, and these white wine glasses have been designed in collaboration with Tony Laithwaite of Laithwaite’s wine, making them a particularly solid choice. Understated yet elegant, these glasses are specially crafted to enhance the aromas and flavours of any crisp white, with an attractive curved lip allowing the full expression of the wine. The base of the wine glass is subtly engraved with the Dartington logo and the Laithwaites signature. A medium-sized and medium-weight glass made from high-performance lead-free crystal, these glasses have brilliant clarity and are built to withstand taps and knocks, plus they are fully dishwasher-safe, making them a convenient everyday option.
3. Tom Dixon Tank Wine Glasses: Best luxury wine glasses
Price: £95 for set of two | Buy now from John Lewis
If you’ve got cash to splash, there are worse ways to spend it than on these stunning Tom Dixon wine glasses. The popular British designer has stuck to his signature styling with these simple but statement-making glasses: individually made from mouth-blown clear glass, they have a generous bowl for wine to breathe, a narrow sloping rim and a chunky stem and base that’s hand-painted with gleaming copper detailing. The shape of the bowl means that these glasses are really versatile. While old world reds have the room to circulate and open up, the tall shape and narrowing rim means that whites are just as well enjoyed. These glasses are perfect for a cosy night in and are a real pleasure to use. Hand wash only!
4. Riedel Veritas Champagne Glasses: Best for wine buffs
Price: £47 for set of two | Buy now from Amazon
Riedel is probably the last word when it comes to glasses. Specialising in wine glasses only, all of Riedel’s wares are developed in a “sensory workshop” to create the perfect wine glass shape for specific wine varietals. These are the Champagne glasses, which Riedel also deems appropriate for Cava, Blanc de Blanc, Prosecco, Sekt and other sparkling wines, but it has 12 other glasses with varying shapes, sizes and rim diameters to suit Old World Pinot Noir, Viognier, Riesling and more. The glass is extremely fine, perfect clarity crystal that feels super delicate but is actually break-resistant, with a laser-cut polished rim to direct the flow of wine accordingly. The stem is seamless, with an understated Riedel trademark on the base. Even holding one of these glasses feels luxurious and wine – nay, Champagne – definitely tastes better out of one of these beauties. Incredibly, these are dishwasher-safe.
5. Villeroy & Boch Ovid White Wine Goblet Set: Best budget glasses
Price: £25 for set of four | Buy now from Amazon
Heritage ceramics brand Villeroy & Boch has been creating pieces since 1748 and has latterly branched out to glassware. Its items are design classics that are at once accessibly priced and made to last: we’ve had a set of these for decades. The Ovid white wine glasses are a timeless tapered shape made from sparklingly clear crystal glass that won’t be degraded from dishwasher use. A tall, generous goblet atop a slimline stem and base, these will accommodate 380ml of chilled white wine, and the shape means wine aromas are driven upwards for your maximum pleasure. The base has the Villeroy & Boch logo etched subtly into the glass and feels comfortable yet refined to hold. At under £25 for a set of four great-quality crystal glasses, you can’t go wrong with these.
Villeroy & Boch Ovid White Wine, Set of 4, 380 ml measured brimful, Crystal Glass, Clear
6. Dartington Crystal Glitz Goblet Wine Glasses: Best for gifting
Price: £49 for set of two | Buy now from John Lewis
Sometimes an occasion requires a bit of bling, and for those times we’d point you directly to these Dartington Crystal Glitz Goblets that do exactly what they say on the tin. Weddings, birthdays and anniversaries get a touch of sparkle thanks to these crystal glasses hand-decorated with Swarovski elements. The biggest glasses we sampled, these well-proportioned goblets have a large 520ml capacity but still have an attractive tapered shape, making them suitable for all non-sparkling wines. We found that Sauvignon Blanc was just as enjoyable as a full-bodied red in these, so pour away. Robust but elegant, these glasses come beautifully boxed, making them an ideal gift. The addition of the Swarovski sparkles means we’d stick to hand-washing these, just to be on the safe side.
7. Robert Welch Airtwist Wine Glass: Best hand-blown glass
Price: £52 each | Buy now from Robert Welch
These enchanting glasses have been hand-blown from full lead crystal; the clever twist design in the stem requires the highest skill level of glassblowing and is extremely time-consuming to achieve. The finished object is unexpectedly weighty, though the glass is actually quite diminutive compared to the huge goblets we’re more used to today, and it feels premium yet sturdy.
We like that the design is contemporary enough to sit within any modern tablescape, while its classic lines and subtlety means it also works well in traditional settings. An ideal white wine glass for a special meal. The full Airtwist range includes champagne flutes, goblets and sherry glasses – should you wish to coordinate your glassware. Each glass arrives safely and prettily packed in an individual gift box, making it a perfect present for yourself or a loved one.
