What type of glass to drink champagne in
… shape matters
Champagne, bubbly, sparkling wine, fizz—call it what you like—is a wine that is revered for its unique taste, texture, and being called on in the name of all things celebratory. When drinking champagne, did you know that the glass shape physically affects what we taste? The right glass can indeed enhance champagne’s natural qualities and make drinking it (who knew) even more enjoyable. Let’s explore how different shapes and sizes of stemware have an impact on the champagne experience.
What stemware is best to drink champagne in?
Here are our top picks (in order)
Pro Tip: The type of champagne makes a major difference in how its stemware impacts it
Wide in the middle, narrow at the top
- Drinking champagne from a wider glass helps you experience more of the aromatic spectrum. You want it to be wider in the middle, and slightly narrower at the top.
White wine glass
- Champagne is best drunk from a white wine glass. The wider middle allows the aromas to come through, the narrower top controls the acidity.
Pinot noir glass for sparkling rosé
- Sparkling rosé is best from a Pinot Noir glass, and we specifically love an Oregon Pinot glass. The predominant grape in Rosé is Pinot Noir.
Coupe
With the wide mouth of a coupe glass, champagne loses its carbonation very quickly and the aroma escapes too easily.
The lack of depth means the bubbles are concentrated in the center, so they move slower, with less bursting at the rim.
Champagne coupes have a nostalgic charm that goes back to the 1920s and is an excellent addition to your stemware collection. However, there are better choices for serving sparkling wine as it tends to lose its fizz rapidly. These glasses are better suited for serving Champagne cocktails instead.
Coupe wine glasses are a great option if you're hosting a themed party or building a Champagne tower. However, for high-end Champagne, it's best to use flute wine glasses or similar glasses that will allow the bubbles to sparkle and shine
Other Great Options
Tulip Glass
A tulip glass is essentially an upgraded champagne flute. The top curves in, and it’s better than a flute at funneling the champagne’s aroma toward the drinker’s nose.
Flute
- It keeps bubbles in, while trapping aromas. Talk about a multi-tasker. If you’re drinking a good champagne, you won’t fully taste or smell it. When you are drinking from a flute, you’re drinking, not savoring.
- Not every sparkling wine is meant to stand up to scrutiny. If you opt for a budget bottle or most cava, prosecco, or crémant, or if you are serving a group and need to preserve the carbonation for a longer period of time, a narrow champagne flute is a perfect choice. They’re classic and festive, great for a party.
All this said, the stemware you decide on depends on the occasion! Whichever option you choose should match the mood of the event, and ultimately how you want things to look.