A Cheat Sheet to the Types of Glass Used in Stemware

Far from being a mere delivery system for your Merlot or Manhattan, a well-made glass enhances the drinking experience by looking (and feeling) aesthetically pleasing. And the number of different shapes and styles of stemware is joined by a myriad of materials from which it can be crafted—each with its own considerations, benefits and drawbacks. It’s a whole wide world that many drinkers barely think about.

Have you been considering upping your glassware game but don’t know where to start? Below, sommeliers, bartenders and other professionals obsessed with stems (rightfully so) offer their take on which to pick up—and when to use them.

The Glass Types in Wine Glasses, Explained

As a material, all glass is not created equally. First off, we break down the most common terms you’ll encounter.

Machine Made

The least expensive stemware is machine-made, where molten glass is poured or pressed into molds. While the resulting glassware is uniform and durable, it also tends to be thicker, with an unsightly seam and a telltale indentation on the bottom of the base. 

“While machine-made glassware may not create the ideal aesthetics for an upscale wine tasting, it ensures you get a consistent sip, especially when comparing wines,” says Jim Pennella, owner of Farang Wine and Harmony School Vineyard, in Napa.

Machine Blown

A step up is machine-blown, which uses an automation process to mimic glassblowing techniques, rendering a lighter, more refined glass. Riedel’s glassware is machine blown, as are Wine Enthusiast’s Pirouette and Vienna glasses.

Austin Bridges, wine director of Nostrana in Portland, Oregon, loves the shape of the Gabriel-Glas StandArt glass, which is machine-blown from one piece of crystal without joints, seams or glue. 

“It showcases any wine beautifully from Champagne to an aged Barolo, plus it’s incredibly durable.” Moreover, its seamless design makes it more prone to chipping rather than fully breaking, making it unsightly but still usable.

Mouthblown and Handblown

Mouthblown or handblown stemware (the two terms are used interchangeably) lie on the more artisanal side of the glassware spectrum. These are made by blowing air into molten glass and shaping it by hand. Zalto’s glassware, which is considered to be top of the line, is mouthblown into molds.

“This is a handmade process,” says Anna-Christina Cabrales, Tasting Director at Wine Enthusiast. Mouth-blown glasses can take almost any shape, and no two pieces are the same—each is unique.” 

Glassware that’s handmade may be adorned with intricate designs. That means it comes with a hefty price tag—a consideration if you’re running a busy wine bar, frequently entertaining at home or are just accident prone. 

Crystal

Stemware choices don’t stop at the production method. Though people often use the term crystal as a synonym for glass, the phrase actually refers to a specific kind of glass that contains added minerals, often lead oxide. 

This lends a sparkly appearance that enhances the clarity, strength and durability of the glass, and enables drinkers to see the wine within more easily. Lead-free alternatives like barium, zinc or potassium retain the same attributes but are even more durable and can withstand being cleaned in the dishwasher. 

Lead-free crystal is the gold standard for high-end wine glasses because of how thin it can be made. “Crystal’s thin walls and ultra-thin rims allow wine to flow freely over your palate to assess the flavor of the wine fully,” Pennella says. 

Borosilicate 

Borosilicate glasses, which contain silica and boron trioxide, are another dishwasher-safe option. This is a thin, durable glass—often used in lab equipment and in the original Pyrex products—that will not crack as easily when exposed to the heat of a drying cycle.

Break-Resistant

If glassware is labeled as break-resistant or shatter-resistant, it means it’s produced from a material that makes it less prone to breakage. 

While a crystal glass might be instantly destroyed if it’s knocked over on the counter, a shatter-resistant one may withstand that kind of fumble.

“Break-resistant glasses are often reinforced at the bowl, and as someone who often toasts with my friends and family, there’s reassurance there will be no shattering when we clink glasses,” says Bonnary Lek, director of public relations for Wine Enthusiast. 

Unbreakable Glasses

Finally, unbreakable “glasses” aren’t actually made of glass at all, but a copolyester plastic. Lek suggests looking for those crafted from Eastman Tritan copolyester (what Wine Enthusiast uses for its Brilliance line), which is strong, easily malleable and extremely durable, as well as FDA-approved and BPA-free.