To many wine drinkers, the insistence on using a “correct” glass feels like pure snobbery. Wander into the glassware aisle of a department store, or browse online, and you’ll find an absurd variety: oversized bowls for Burgundy, flared rims, slender ones for whites, tall flutes for sparkling, and the controversial stemless option (if you’re aiming for the Tuscan trattoria vibe, just use a tumbler).

Over the years, I’ve collected plenty of these fancy glasses – half of which ended up in the bin after a few ham-fisted, boozy attempts at cleaning. They are beautiful, and I do love the feel of thin crystal, but the question remains: do they really make a difference to our enjoyment?

The short answer: yes, probably… maybe. But only up to a point.

Why Shape Can Change Flavour

Aroma is a huge part of what makes wine enjoyable. Most of what we “taste” actually comes from what we smell, and the right glass helps capture and even develop those aromas.

• Tulip-shaped glasses (slightly wider bowl, narrowing at the rim) are ideal: they let the wine breathe while capturing aroma for your nose to savour. They also allow a good swirl without risking a red-shirt disaster.
• Wider bowls (often for young, full-bodied reds) increase surface area, exposing the wine to more air and softening hard edges.
• Narrower glasses (often for lighter wines, especially whites) arguably don’t matter much, but the smaller surface area may keep the wine cooler longer, helping preserve fruity notes.

Some manufacturers also claim rim shape directs the wine to different parts of your tongue, affecting taste. That idea is based on the outdated “tongue map” fallacy and can mostly be ignored (though some rim shapes are lovely – I’ve got a shelf full of them). A flared lip, however, does encourage the wine to wash over your whole palate, which might reduce the need for mouth-swirling.

So yes, shape matters. But do you need a glass for every grape variety? Absolutely not. Some designs are downright silly.

Take the Champagne flute: beautiful, but useless. A flute filled three-quarters of the way just shoots bubbles up your nose and captures none of the aroma. It doesn’t keep fizz any longer than a white wine glass and prevents the wine from developing. The only thing worse is the Marie Antoinette “coupe”. Use the same glass as you would for any wine – a tulip (the same goes for fortified wines). It has the same effect as for still wines plus, its a tapered base allows for gradual CO2 release and therefore keeps the bubbles for longer.

Obtuse Audiophile Analogy

I think of wine glasses like hi-fi speakers. Sure, some speakers shine with one genre, but a good pair should handle anything well. Wine glasses are the same.

A big bowl can flatter a delicate red Burgundy, capturing subtle aromatics and letting the wine open up. But the best glasses aren’t single-purpose trophies—they’re versatile enough to make any wine enjoyable without fuss.

That’s why I always come back to a tulip-shaped, stemmed, practical glass that fits in the dishwasher. Good for reds, whites, sparkling—everything.

Quality and Practicality Matter Too

Let’s be honest: nobody wants to hand-wash ten delicate glasses after a dinner party. Crystal-thin stemware feels luxurious until it shatters in the dishwasher—or in your hands after too much Barolo.

Here’s what actually matters day to day:

• Dishwasher safe – Are you really going to polish them by hand? Just make sure your glasses don’t smell of detergent when you take them out.
• Sturdy but not clunky – Thick glass dulls the experience; wafer-thin is nerve-wracking. Find the balance.
• Comfortable stem – Keeps your hand off the bowl (and the fingerprints off the glass) while letting you swirl confidently.
• Use the stem – It’s the handle. Hold the handle.

The Sweet Spot

For me, the “perfect” glass isn’t six different shapes for six wines, it’s one all-rounder that hits the essentials:

• Tulip-shaped bowl (wide at the base, gently narrowing at the top)
• A stem
• Durable and dishwasher safe
• Clean and odour-free

If you’re considering some new glasses and want something super affordable, sturdy and the right shape, these Habitat ones are great. They are labelled “small” but are normal sized and a larger version is available – but they’re too big for our dishwasher…