How much glassware do you own?

[Carl D]

In planning for our version of the Great Reserve Ruby Taste-Off of 2012, we've scouted locations, rounded up wines, explored publicity options - all the things one might do to get a group organized from the ground up. As anyone who's put together a tasting will know, it takes a lot of glasses to serve 6 wines to a dozen or more people. In our area, we've found that the best option is going to be for us to buy enough glasses to put on the kind of tasting events that we'd like to attend - maybe nine dozen glasses or so. Restaraunts here don't typically have that many wine glasses, or if they do, they're large Bordeaux or Burgundy glasses - way too big for port. Rental is an option, but once you factor in delivery/shipping or just driving to the rental place to pick 'em up, you only have to put on about 3 events to have covered the cost of simply buying the glassware.

I know others on this fine forum put on tasting events so it made me wonder: how much (wine-related) glassware do you own? Related question - if you've bought a large stash of glassware, what glasses did you buy? We're looking at Libbey 8466. It's a moderately priced 6.5 ounce glass that looks like it should work fine, and is small enough to fit a pile of them onto a table top.

[Peter W. Meek]

24 port (square-stem, sturdy, long-lasting)
5 port (Riedel - remains of 12; just too fragile for enthusiastic, dishwasher-using port fans)
1 port (unknown -last of 12; way too fragile!)
30-40 flutes (discount house - thick stem, graceful bowls - almost unbreakable, I have accidentally dropped one on a granite counter-top and watched it bounce)
60+ "white wine" (several varieties - we seem to buy a dozen or so new ones before any large party - typically used for casual red wines around here, especially at big parties)
12-15 "red wine" (big bowl/ tall bowl/???, again a mix; bought by the 4 or 6-pack as we happen to think we need new ones)
10 tumblers (5 oz, cylindrical - good for shots, for "overflow" port drinking when we don't have enough real port glasses)
14 tumblers (12 oz tapered, like a small traditional pint beer glass - these are our go-to glasses for casual, everyday red wine drinking; must get more)
50+ miscellaneous wine/liquor glasses (1 - 6 each of double-old fashioned, cordial, fancy flutes, port "bottom-sippers", etc.)
3 flat, ship-style decanters, 1 tall, stoppered decanter, decanting funnels, 5 glass filter-paper funnels (good for Hersh-style port decanting), decanting engine

(Just for completeness)
200+ misc. "non-alcohol" glasses (sets of 12, broken sets of 12, singles and pairs - stemmed water glasses, cylindrical milk glasses, stemmed sherbet glasses, Sippy-Cups, etc., many of which {NOT the Sippy-Cups} can be pressed into service for wine)

We tend to adjust our collection toward dishwasher-safe, since that's how we wash: the fragile glasses die, and the strong survive.

[Eric Menchen]

For Port I have one dozen of the official IVDP glasses, and four "cat sippers." After that, 10 each of nice white, red, and champagne glasses, then the daily cheap glasses ... I could give a long long list of different beer glasses to answer the general question, but I don't think that's particularly relevant here. I have one tall stopper decanter, one balloon decanter, and now four ship's decanters.

When I've hosted tastings, I've gone the rental route. There is a party rental place less than 10 minutes away that rents small white wine glasses for $0.50 each. (There is another that has them for $0.40, but that is at least 45 minutes away-not worth the drive.) I did a comparative tasting with these and several other glasses once and found them to be quite suitable. Besides the fact I don't have to store the glasses, the big plus I've felt lately is that I don't have to wash the glasses afterwards. We just rinse them and put them back into the trays for return.

I've considered buying glasses, as after a number of rentals you do approach the cost of a glass, but right now I don't have good storage space, and there is the washing issue. After my basement is finished, I'm going to revisit this. Glenn has a mentioned an online source that has suitable glasses for a good price.

[Glenn E.]

I have 6 dozen Port glasses purchased from Marjorie Lumm - the cheap $3/stem kind. Highly recommended if you think you'll hold regular tastings because they are inexpensive and sturdy. The only flaw is that they have a rolled (instead of cut) lip, but that's pretty minor.

I also have 6 of the IVDP-branded Alvaro Siza designed Port glasses which are fun.

My Riedels are my favorites. I only have 5 of the Vinum left, but I also have 1 each of the Sommelier Tawny and Vintage Port glasses. I admit to being afraid to use those, though, because they seem so delicate.

Then there is my assortment of producer-branded glasses. I have 6 of those, I think.

We do also have about a dozen nice red wine glasses and a similar number of not-so-nice white wine glasses, but I never use any of those.

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[Carl D]

The only flaw is that they have a rolled (instead of cut) lip, but that's pretty minor.

Just curious - from your perspective, what difference does the rolled versus cut edge make? I know the difference, and have glasses of both types, but I'd be hard pressed to come up with a significance other than the cut edge looks nicer.

[Glenn E.]

I like the feel of the cut edge better for some reason. Some say that the rolled edge affects the flow of the Port into your mouth, but I really can't tell a difference in that regard.

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[Eric Menchen]

For a beer the rolled edge will stir up a little turbulence, making more CO2 come out of solution right as you are drinking it. Arguably this is a good thing for beer. For wine, I really couldn't taste a difference, but I suspect someone more experienced than I will claim there is one. IMHO the cut looks nicer (and maybe feels nicer?) But the rolled is more sturdy and cheaper to make, so I'm fine with it for bulk glassware for a tasting.

[Al B.]

I've got around 70 ISO type tasting glasses that are similar to the Marjorie Lumm type. These came from several sources (including 2 dozen that cost about £2 in total from a charity shop!) and are probably used once or twice a year at tastings. I've got a similar amount stored for a fellow port lover who has less storage space in the UK than I do.

I have 18 Riedel Vinum port glasses that I use when I'm drinking at home or when we have port-drinking guests at home. I have a couple of Schott-Zwiesel square stemmed tasting glasses that I carry with me when going to an offline and want to be sure to have a "standard" shape glass to taste from. These seem to be a bit more robust when being carried than the Riedels.

In total, we have around 40 other Riedel stems, mostly Bordeaux, Chardonnay and Champagne. We've also got about another 40 stems of odds and sods including 3 glasses that I inherited from my grandmother - who inherited them from her grandmother. These never get used and to my untrained eye look as though they are from the early 1800's!

[Hannes Erven]

One note on the Riedel glasses, the glass that most Port professionals preferred in a recent tasting besides the Vinum is the new "Restaurant Port" glass (see http://malvedos.wordpress.com/2011/03/0 ... g-glasses/) .
The shape is almost identical to the Vinum, but is more robust and since it is machine-blown also much more price-efficent (I'd say you'll get about 4+ Restaurants for one Vinum).

The drawback is that Riedel sells these series only to bars, restaurants and other business like that.

[John M.]

I've got a case (36) of the Marjorie Lumm glasses. Nice and sturdy--have yet to break one--wish the stem was just a little longer. Had 12 of the Reidel Vinium, but only 8 left after 3 years, plus one from Crate & Barrell out of 6 originally purchased--these are far too fragile and not recommended. The Reidel are the best out of these port glasses IMHO.

As for other glassware, I plead the 5th.

[Glenn E.]

One note on the Riedel glasses, the glass that most Port professionals preferred in a recent tasting besides the Vinum is the new "Restaurant Port" glass (see http://malvedos.wordpress.com/2011/03/0 ... g-glasses/) .
The shape is almost identical to the Vinum, but is more robust and since it is machine-blown also much more price-efficent (I'd say you'll get about 4+ Restaurants for one Vinum).

The Vinum series is machine blown with an attached stem, so unless the Restaurant series is amazingly inexpensive (they'd have to be $5/stem at retail) you won't be able to get 4 of them for the cost of a $20 Vinum Port Glass.

Are you thinking of the Sommelier line instead? Those are mouth blown with a pulled stem and they are much more expensive - around $65 each.

[Eric Menchen]

Just to clarify, the Majorie Lumm glass that people are talking about is the small Durand Viticole Tasting Glass, $3.75, $2.75 each by the case of 36, on this page, correct?

[Carl D]

Just to clarify, the Majorie Lumm glass that people are talking about is the small Durand Viticole Tasting Glass, $3.75, $2.75 each by the case of 36, on this page, correct?

The Libbey glass that we bought can be see here. We paid $2.625/ea, with no shipping (we picked them up at a distributor). The Libbey glass Looks fairly similar to the Durand Viticole glass, but slightly smaller.

[Glenn E.]

Just to clarify, the Majorie Lumm glass that people are talking about is the small Durand Viticole Tasting Glass, $3.75, $2.75 each by the case of 36, on this page, correct?

Yes Eric, INAO 9909. Your link is correct.

I originally paid $2.65/stem for my first case, I think. The next time I ordered they were $2.75/stem and ended up being backordered. When the backorder came in the price had been raised to $3/stem but they honored our order at $2.75.

[Moses Botbol]

I have about 100 or so IDVP glasses with several still in their original box.

Red wine, about 50-60 identical glasses.

[Roy Hersh]

3 dz. Marjorie Lumm Port glasses
2 dz. Riedel Vinum Port glasses
2 dz. Ohm Design Port glasses by A. Siza
1 dz. Ohm Design IVDP-logo glasses by A. Siza
1 dz. Spieglau Port glassware

A mix of 9 dz. Riedel Vinum and Schott Zweissel glassware for Burgundy, Bordeaux, Chianti and 1 dozen assorted flutes for Champagne

[Hannes Erven]

The Vinum series is machine blown with an attached stem, so unless the Restaurant series is amazingly inexpensive (they'd have to be $5/stem at retail) you won't be able to get 4 of them for the cost of a $20 Vinum Port Glass.

These numbers are correct, yes. As I said, they are only sold to "professionals" so probably that's the explanation. Anyways, in the tasting I cited, there was a tie between the Restaurant and Sommelier glasses -- they seem to have the same contour, with the differences being the glass (lead in Sommelier, non-lead in Restaurant) and production (mouth- vs. machine-blown).

-hannes

[Roy Hersh]

I don't think the fact that a glass is produced with lead crystal really makes any difference to the taster. Do you?