I’ve recently been looking into champagne and sparkling wine glasses, moving away from the traditional straight flutes that are popular here in the UK.
My interest started in wine tastings and masterclasses, where I noticed a preference for tulip-shaped glasses, or even standard white wine glasses, for Prosecco, Cava, English Sparkling and Champagne.
I decided to purchase some Schott Zwiesel Vina Crystal Glass Champagne flutes for about £47 for six. These aren’t readily available in the UK, so I had them sent over from Germany. My past experiences with Schott Zwiesel, both wine and water glasses, have always been positive, particularly their dishwasher-safe quality that doesn’t result in a permanent milky appearance.
Upon trying the Schott Zwiesel flute, I noticed it’s much larger than the typical flute, at 263ml rather than 150ml, which means you need to be more judicious when pouring to share a bottle among a larger group. The bubbles are just as lively as in a traditional flute and the aroma seems more pronounced. I guess the tulip shape seems to play a role here, capturing and concentrating the aroma, preventing it from escaping too quickly.
As WSET explain, the ‘ideal’ champagne glass is influenced by both physical and psychological factors. Physically, the shape of the glass affects aroma and flavour perception, while psychologically, personal preferences and associations with specific glass shapes can influence perception.
