Is it better to drink Champagne in a regular wineglass instead of a flute?
Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. And don't worry, I'm no wine snob—you can also ask me those "dumb questions" you're too embarrased to ask your wine geek friends! I hope you find my answers educational, empowering and even amusing. And don't forget to check out my most asked questions and my full archives for all my Q&A classics.
Dear Dr. Vinny,
What's with the seemingly new idea of drinking Champagne in a standard wineglass versus the flute? I've been seeing and hearing more and more about this. Are we looking at another screw top versus cork type debate on this?
—Don S., Naperville, Ill.
Dear Don,
It’s acceptable—and preferred by some—to serve sparkling wines in a regular white-wine glass. I think that how many and what types of wineglasses you invest in depends a lot on how much and what kinds of wine you drink. There are some really good all-purpose wineglasses that I use daily, then I have specialty red ones that are bigger that I bring out when I have company, and since I drink a lot of bubbly, I also have Champagne flutes. I don’t have many, so sometimes at a dinner party I’ll serve bubbly in a regular wineglass.
I like flutes because they feel festive to me. I believe the narrow opening helps prevent the bubbles from escaping too rapidly, and it’s fun to watch the bubbles rise through the chimney to the surface. The bad thing about a flute is that it’s difficult to stick your nose in the glass to take in the wine’s aromatics. (And some of the best sparkling wines really deserve to have their aromatics enjoyed.) If you’re looking for a new set of glasses, keep an eye out for tulip-shaped bubbly glasses that are like a hybrid between a small wineglass and a flute.
—Dr. Vinny
