The right glass doesn't just hold wine — it shapes how you experience it. But buying wine glasses can feel complicated: stemmed or stemless? Crystal or glass? One style or many?
The good news: you don't need a sommelier's collection. You need a few versatile, well-made pieces that look beautiful on the table. Here's how to choose.
Stemmed vs. Stemless Wine Glasses
Stemmed glasses are the traditional choice. The stem keeps your hand away from the bowl so body heat doesn't warm the wine, and they signal occasion — a stem on the table says the evening was worth setting up for.
Stemless glasses are more relaxed, more durable and easier to store. They work beautifully for casual gatherings and are dishwasher-safe without the worry of a stem snapping. Our Riga Hand-Painted Striped Stemless Wine Glass is a good example: hand-painted in five colours, made from borosilicate glass, and the kind of piece that makes a Tuesday feel like something.
A simple rule: one set of stemmed glasses for formal dinners, one set of stemless for everything else.
Red, White or Universal?
Red wine glasses have a wider bowl to let the wine breathe and concentrate aromas. White wine glasses are narrower, keeping the wine cooler. Universal glasses split the difference — and for most home bars, they're all you need.
Start with a set of universal or large-bowl glasses you love the look of, and build from there. The visual difference between a beautiful glass and a plain one is immediate; the impact on the wine itself is subtle at home.
Crystal vs. Regular Glass
Lead-free crystal is thinner, clearer and more resonant. Standard glass is heavier and more affordable but perfectly good for everyday use. Borosilicate glass sits in the middle: heat-resistant, clear and durable enough for daily life.
How Many Glasses Do You Need?
For a dinner party of four to six, a set of four to six matching glasses is plenty — buy a few extra since one always gets chipped. For everyday use, two to four is fine.
Placing Wine Glasses on the Table
Place one wine glass per guest above and slightly right of the dinner plate. If serving both red and white, set both — white closer to the plate, red behind it. A water glass sits to the left of the wine glass.
Browse our full range in the Drinkware and Glassware collection, or explore the complete Tabletop and Dining range to set the whole table.