The glassware question - what do you like? - Australian Wine and Drinks Review

October 23, 2019

The glassware question – what do you like?

I’ve been thinking about glassware/stemware this week after spotting that some local retailers are now selling Jancis Robinson’s range of glassware.

How does an Andrew Graham glassware set sound?

Seriously though, it begs the question – what do you like drinking out of at home?

We have a hodgepodge of glassware at Casa Graham, with Riedel Vinum Bordeaux and Pinot Noir the main choice. I particularly like the Pinot Noir shape and I can buy them at a fair price wholesale when they break (which happens, usually when rinsing in the sink).

But if I had to restock the shelf, I’d probably have a few Zalto Universal glasses too, purely because they’re dead sexy. Hand-blown, with egg shell thin glass they feel fantastic. Effortless weight and delicacy. The only problem is that they’re egg shell thin and I’m pretty good at dropping glasses. Also, they’re flippin expensive, even at wholesale prices. The Zalto flutes are also things of beauty fwiw.

What about you? What’s your wine glass of choice?

Glassware

Andrew Graham was once voted the 23rd most trusted wine critic on the planet. A WCA Journalism Young Gun now old hack with 25yrs as a buyer, judge, journalist, marketer and too much more.

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17 responses to “The glassware question – what do you like?”

Andrew Graham

October 24, 2019 at 8:08 am

Note that I always put glasses in the dishwasher too. The single quickest way to stop breakage rates. Just do it.

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Travis Webb

October 24, 2019 at 8:43 am

Hi Andrew. We’ve got a stack of Riedel Vinum Shiraz and Riesling glasses for groups, as well as a couple each of the Zalto Universal and Burgs for ourselves. The Zaltos are amazing and yes, we pop them all in the dishwasher. A mate of ours who is a surgeon cut his hand extremely badly drying a large wine glass a few years ago. That did it for us. No more hand-washing and drying.

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Andrew Graham

October 24, 2019 at 8:45 am

Now that is shocking! I think the huge Riedel Somm glasses could be potential weapons for that matter. Monsters.

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Simon Colwell

October 24, 2019 at 10:27 am

We try to buy glasses that are in-betweeners ie suitable for both reds & whites. We just don’t have the space in our apartment for a range of styles. The brand isn’t important but it does have to be a fine, thin crystal. We do have some specific Riedel glasses, one lot for some kind of red and the other for chardonnay, but the bowls on them are massive and combined with the paranoia about breaking them they mainly stay in the cupboard.

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Mike Lazarou

October 24, 2019 at 8:58 pm

I have the Luigi Bormioli Prestige Bordeaux glasses. They are fantastic. Very underrated glasses.

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Patrick

October 24, 2019 at 11:13 pm

I have some Gabriel-Glas Universal Wine Glasses. Not too thin and great for red and white.

https://winehouse.com.au/gabriel-glas-universal-wine-glass-6-pack

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JonH

October 25, 2019 at 8:30 am

Zalto’s all the way, I’ve got a cupboard full of Riedel’s that I barely touch now, drinking from the Zalto’s is so much nicer and they’re surprisingly robust!

I do use the Somm Grand Cru Burgundy’s when I’ve got something a bit spesh though.

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Travis

October 25, 2019 at 10:18 am

The Vinums are still the standard bearer for me when I want to coax the most out of a bottle. They are super reliable. I have some Gabriel Glas too- but best for whites and aromatics. They kill claret.

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Sean

October 25, 2019 at 10:36 am

For pure value the Gabriel- Glas are exceptional. BUt agree with Travis for a Red that really wants to open up the Vinums are the way to go.

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Garry

October 25, 2019 at 12:05 pm

Like Patrick and Sean I use the Gabriel Glas, the Gold which are hand blown and eggshell thin but so far durable with no breakages! I have many different Riedels but use the Gabriel most days.

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Craig

October 25, 2019 at 12:10 pm

I drink out of anything that does not leak!
Schott Zwiesel glassware is relatively cheap and seems to have copied Reidel’s shape.

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1. Simon Colwell
  
  October 25, 2019 at 12:24 pm
  
  A winemaker recommended Schott Zwiesel glasses to me, he said something about the way they’re made makes them hard to break.
  
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Paul Verdich

October 25, 2019 at 7:01 pm

For good wines we use Zalto burgundy, flute and universal glasses. By far the best after having Riedel etc. Amazingly for excellent white and red glasses made in Germany are from Aldi! Watch when they are on special – super cheap. All go in the dishwasher

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David

October 25, 2019 at 10:06 pm

Riedel SST Cabernet glasses for something a bit fancier and good ole Riedel Ouverture Magnum red glasses for the every day glass. Plus some Riedel Stemless Cab Merlot glassed which I use when other are over that aren’t drinking wine and I don’t want to feel pretentious. But I would love some Zaltos – they make wine taste amazing

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Paul

October 26, 2019 at 1:32 am

I’m not sure that I have many that I have purchased outright. I have Ouverture Magnums, standard Ouverture and Ouevture white glasses that I have acquired from various tastings. If I break some of those, I’d probably go buy Gabriel Glas but it hasn’t happened yet. I have a few standard tasting glasses that I tend to only used for fortifieds, as well as one Riedel fortified glass which I like a lot. I have a few stemless glasses for red and white that almost never see wine.
That brings me to the fact that. I probably regularly use a wider range of beer glasses than I do wine glasses. Those stemless, red glasses I tend to like for saisons and sours. I have a stout glass, although I’m not convinced by it. I am convinced by the Spiegelau IPA glasses and the Tulips are a classic and versitile glass. I have several others that I often use for specific sorts of beer too.

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Andrew Graham

October 26, 2019 at 6:58 am

I have a few of those Spiegelau IPA glasses and really like them.

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Rory Shannon

November 4, 2019 at 4:13 pm

My everyday is the Royal Doulton Sommelier Bordeaux. Purchased from Myer, they have a lifetime no fault replacement on breakages. Ive broken 3 so far, no questions asked.. they were replaced.
Cant go wrong.

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