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The History of Wine Glasses
Wine glasses have been used almost since wine was invented. Vessels made from leather gourds, pottery and animal horns were the first wine glasses. Later, vessels made of gold, silver, pewter, and even lead were common.
Back in the first century AD, Pliny the Elder wrote about glass replacing the usual gold and silver drinking vessels. The glass versions were priced as high as those made of precious metal. The traditional shape with a stem and a foot has been around since at least the 15th century, when they used enameled goblets. To be considered a goblet, the glass must hold more than four ounces of liquid.
In the 16th century, covered wine glasses were engraved with ornate decorations. Straight stems with no decoration became popular around 1740. A little later, air twist stems became the rage. In 1750, glasses had a twist incised on the outside of the stem. By the end of the 18th century, the French were making high quality crystal wine glasses.
Cordial glasses were modeled after wine glasses, but were smaller, holding only an ounce. Toast masters had special glasses that were made with thicker walls and bottom so the toast master would appear to drink as much as everyone else, but in actuality only had a small portion. The toast master traditionally had to drain the glass with every toast. It was important that he remain standing until the last toast was performed.
During the industrial revolution, glass making became easier and less expensive. Whole sets were offered for sale. Wine, port, and sherry glasses competed with champagne flutes, snifters, and goblets. Glass became the best material for making drinking vessels. The color of the wine could be savored as much as the flavor. Pliny had to wait a long time, but glass finally became the preferred material for serving wine.
In the 1950s, stemware manufacturers like Riedel Crystal redesigned wine glasses so there is now a unique glass for almost every variation of wine that you can find. However, there have been some interesting wine vessels used throughout history.
Coconut and ostrich egg cups were often decorated with silver to hold wine. Flat silver bowls called wine tasters date from medieval times when they were used to demonstrate to everyone that the wine had not been poisoned. Noggins, a small wooden mug, were used in the middle ages. They held 1/4 pint of liquid. Piggins were made of leather and used in the same period. Bombards were very large, holding several gallons.
Some wine experts caution you not to wash your wine glasses with soap. A good rinse with hot water is all they recommend. The theory is that soap may get trapped on the glass and interfere with the flavor of the wine. Washing soda is a good alternative. Hand wash your glasses with this material and you will get clean glasses with no residue. Let glasses air dry or dry them with a lint free cloth. Store the glasses stem down. Allow space between then to prevent chipping.
