The Best Champagne Glass Shape for enjoying Bubbly

There is always a debate surrounding the best glass to enjoy Champagne in. For many, and on most occasions, it will simply be the glass that is handy which is the best as most of us will simply want to enjoy the Champagne as it is poured and we will have little interest in studying the wine neither wait to see how it performs in the glass over time. How many celebratory events have we been to from weddings to office birthday parties where it is either the very conventional ‘flute’ we see or it is simply whichever clean glasses there are in the staff room cupboard by the sink that we pour bubbles into?

As much as we love Champagne, and in Britain, we do drink our fair share, there is a degree of importance in choosing the correct glass as it is a proven fact by many top wine professionals that wines do perform very differently from glass to glass.

Champagne has always been synonymous with either the flute or the couple style, both these types will today appear the most frequently such as in bars / restaurants and even on TV when corks are popped. Outside of these two styles, there are many options to choose from with many designs specifically released by top manufacturers (and also Champagne experts) as well as some very unique designs and fun options.

 

“When considering which Champagne glass to choose we must also recognise which Champagne we are pouring. There are many styles of Champagne that we can enjoy as well as rare and vintage options. A basic brut from the supermarket will deliver very different aromas and flavours compared to a vintage from a respected maker. For me, especially an older (20 years plus) Champagne then I opt for a large bowl glass so that we can fully appreciate the depth of aromas and flavours.” Christopher Walkey

For this article, I decided to live test four different styles of Champagne glass to see if indeed each glass can affect the end result, ie what we experience in aromas and flavours.

• Flute: Visually great though aromas subdued. Flavours are fresh and bubbly.
• Coupe: Elegance yet aromas are nearly non existent.
• White Wine Glass: Captures the aromas well and flavours though hold little visual character.
• Large Bowl Glass (Lehmann): Aromas and flavours are fully appreciated and the feel is of sophistication when enjoying the Champagne.