A Cup That Runneth Over

Do you really need a different wine glass for every grape varietal? Our critic says no

- Elin McCoy

There are many things I love about wine: the rich color of a lush Napa cabernet, the grassy aromas of a bright sauvignon blanc, the texture of fizzing bubbles in Champagne. The bonus? The only equipment you need to appreciate such sensory delights are a nose, a mouth—and a glass.

The conundrum, however, is which wine glass to buy among the vast array of options. The modern obsession to find the “right” glass started in the 1980s with the Austrian company Riedel, which built its reputation by convincing wine lovers that each grape needed a specially shaped glass to enhance the unique nuances in its flavor. Critics, sommeliers, and virtuoso designers keep using the latest scientific engineering (and their own style preferences) as an excuse to invent new shapes. But they don’t always succeed.