If you are a bubbles lover like me, you may have noticed there are so many different glasses for enjoying them with. Between the champagne flute, the tulip, the coupe, which glass is actually the best for enjoying your bubbles? And why is having the right glass important to the tasting experience? In this article, we look at how to choose the right glass for Sparkling Wine.
For many years the Champagne flute has been seen as the be-all and end-all of sparkling wine glassware. However sparkling wine lovers everywhere are now looking to other options as they grapple with the idea that the flute may not be the best glassware for Sparkling Wine.
So if this is the case, what is the best glass for Sparkling Wine and why? Let’s dive into the glasses and what they do to your drinking experience.
The Coupe glass
The Coupe glass, or as my friend loves to call it, the boob glass, was made popular in the 1920s. There is a false myth that it was modelled off Marie Antoinette’s left breast. But it was actually invented in the 1660s in England.
Coupes certainly look fancy, even more so when used in a Champagne tower. They have this ‘olde-worlde’ and fancy feel to them that gives them a vintage vibe. As such they’re often used to make things a little fancier.
However, the wide and flat shape of the glass means your Sparkling Wine will lose its bubbles fast. But it also means that the wine can really breathe and gets aerated. Some wines with more nuance and complexity can benefit from this as it can give the wine more harmony between the effervescence and flavour. But for the most part, this isn’t something you want in your Sparkling Wine. So although this glass may look fancy, it isn’t the best glass to choose.
This type of glass is best used for sweeter sparkling styles like Asti as it makes the wine appear softer and fruitier.
Narrow flute
The narrow Champagne flute is a very practical glass, which is why it is so popular. This is the wine glass you’ll most likely get when you order Sparkling Wine at a bar or restaurant. They’re easy to pre-pour for events, and they keep the fizz in the glass while being relatively easy to store.
Narrow flutes are so popular, but this doesn’t mean they are the best glass for Sparkling Wine. Unfortunately, they trap the aromas as they keep the bubbles in, meaning you miss the Champagne’s scents and aromas. This is due to the narrow opening and high fill level.
But they are great for entertaining. They keep the bubbles in meaning if there is a long speech or two, your glass of bubbles won’t go flat! They are also difficult to spill making them perfect for entertaining.
The tulip glass
The tulip glass is gaining popularity for a reason. It has a wider middle and a narrow top. This allows you to get more aromas from the Champagne whilst controlling the acidity with the narrow top. This glass also allows more room for the bubbles to aerate and aromatics to flow through.
Wines enjoyed in a tulip glass will have more prominent floral and fruity flavours, and so enjoying Prosecco, Sparkling Rosé and Vintage Champagnes are perfect pairs. These glasses really enhance the drinking experience overall by really opening up the wine so you can unpack it.
Tapered wine glass
But what about a regular wine glass? Maybe you don’t have a tulip glass on hand, so can you use a normal wine glass? Lucky for you a good wine glass should do a similar job, but especially if it is a larger, tapered glass. It needs to mimic this tulip style to ensure the bubbles are maintained. But when done right it expands the aroma and gives you all the flavours you need. Some experts even say it is best to enjoy Champagne in a larger glass to develop its full potential!
What is the best glass for Sparkling Wine?
So now that you know what the different glasses mean, which is best? Here are a few key points:
- The rime should be large enough to smell the wine’s aromas but not so wide that it loses the bubbles
- The wider the bowl, the more aromas the glass collects
- A pointed base gives a single stream of bubbles
Although the coupe glass is fancy and fun, it isn’t the winner when it comes to Sparkling Wine. The flute glass is a much better and cost-effective option for enjoying Sparkling Wine. It’s a timeless option and great for entertaining.
However, the real winner here is the tulip glass. It gives space to the wine to develop its flavours without rushing the aromatics of the Sparkling Wine. And if you want the full experience, then this is the one you need. But if you’re not too bussed, the flute might be all you need.