Like many women, I struggle to find the perfect Christmas gift for my husband.
Dan is a simple man. Well, materially anyway. Beyond that he’s more complicated than a French Bordeaux. He doesn’t care about clothes. (I wish he cared a little more.) He drives a 10-year-old car that gets washed once a year (a Father’s Day gift from the kids). He has probably paid to see a movie in a theater five times in the 20 years I’ve known him. (He waits till he can rent them.) And his answer to almost every gift idea I float is: “Don’t waste the money.”
“How about a new pair of slippers, honey, since I can see the bottom of your feet coming through yours?”
“Don’t waste the money.”
So when I asked him what he wanted for Christmas, I was shocked to get a real answer.
“I’d like some nice wine glasses.”
“Perfect!”
I was off like Secretariat. In my mind I was already at Cost Plus, where they sell glasses in boxes of 12. I was thinking I might even find some in a fun color to jazz up the table. Dan wouldn’t care about the color. Plus, we could use them over the holidays.
Just as I was mentally wrapping up this plan, he said, “And don’t get some cheap discount pack in something colorful. Get some nice ones.”
“Oh, you want wine snob glasses.”
“Yeah, wine snob glasses.”
I obviously needed to do some research. There are few areas of consumerism I know little about, but he’d hit one. The one thing I know is that every wine glass I have ever purchased (and what are the odds of this?) — from the cobalt-blue ones made in Mexico to my fine Waterford stemware — has been all wrong.
I’ve also learned that what you spend isn’t the issue. You can get a decent glass for under $10, or you can pay as much as $70.
I ultimately settled on the Reidel Vinum line for Dan. To get our collection started, I bought four stems of Bordeaux glasses, and four chardonnay-style. It will take a few installments to get enough for a good-sized dinner party. But at least now I know what to get him for Valentine’s Day.
Cheers to a happy holiday season. Join me next week for tips on proper wine storage.
Marni Jameson is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of the forthcoming book “The House Always Wins” (DaCapo Press, April 2008). You may contact her through .
What to look for
According to the wine pros I consulted, wine glasses should meet the following criteria:
Make them clear. A wine glass must be clear glass, the thinner the better. Colored glass looks festive, and cut crystal sparkles. But both detract from seeing the actual color of the wine. And that means no pewter.
No fat lips. The top edge of the glass should be fine, and not have a rolled lip, as if it’s just had a collagen injection. A bulge on the rim keeps the wine from flowing out of the glass smoothly. Worse, it screams “Cheap glass!”
Get a grip. You want stems. These keep you from pawing the bowl, which messes with the temperature and gets fingerprints all over, making the wine harder to see clearly.
Bottom-heavy is good. Contrary to the ideal female figure, the ideal glass’ base should be larger than its top. Champagne glasses are the exception. For these you want a narrow, tapered flute, so bubbles last longer. Though some companies make many glass shapes to suit the character of different wines, for most of us, three shapes should do: One for reds, bigger bowl; one for whites, smaller bowl; and narrow flutes for champagne.
Room for slosh and schnoz. The glass should be large enough to hold an ample pour when the glass is one-third full. This lets you swirl the glass vigorously without spilling wine all over your shirt, and also lets you stick your schnoz inside to get a full whiff. This is where the word snooty came from.
Wash once, rinse twice. Some wine purists believe in washing glasses with only water. Soap can leave a residue that will affect the taste, they argue. Some compromise and wash only the outside of the glass with soap, not the inside. Personally, I’m a fan of soap and water. Wash glasses (by hand if they’re expensive) with a mild detergent, rinse super-well. You don’t want that first aroma to carry overtones of berry and lemon-scented Joy. Hand dry without twisting.
Right side up. When storing glasses, don’t set them upside down, that can chip the all-precious rim and trap odors.
What’s in a name? Any search of quality wine glasses will lead to Riedel, the Chateau Lafite-Rothschild of the wine-glass world, or to Spiegelau, a company Riedel bought several years ago. Both companies offer affordable stemware for as low as $7 a glass. The Reidel Vinum line, available at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Williams-Sonoma, runs $20 to $25 a glass. Reidel’s top Sommelier line costs $60 to $100 a stem. Any quality difference would be lost on me. I just know that if I bought a $70 wine glass, I’d curse louder if I broke one. Any brand is fine so long as they fit the snoot and snob criteria.
