One other reason to use a stemmed glass is the visual. Greasy fingerprints dull the view of the wine and the first sense you want to be involved in tasting is sight. I’ll stick to my stemmed glasses and buy cheaper ones for casual use so that the inevitable breakage doesn’t hurt as much.

Gotta say: I don’t like stemless glasses and I don’t think they are chic! Call me a snob but I don’t think sipping wine out of a juice glass is fun: it reminds me of those log ago days in the college dorm where the only glass available was often the one on the sink in the bathroom.

Aside from that, though, a large part of the rationale for having a stem is that it allows you to hold the glass without actually having your hands on the goblet: hands are warm and will ultimately warm the contents of your glass. Think about brandy snifters and people consciously warming their brandy.

Finally, there are excellent stemmed wine glasses that can go into the dishwasher. You’ll have to look a little further afield than the local purveyor of Riedel but it’s worth the search: we regularly wash ours in the dishwasher.

I’ll have to concur with Jill on this. Unless you get an ice-cold glass of Riesling from a dinner host or at your local wine tasting, you should NEVER put your hands on the goblet.

I was recently served wine in the new stemless glasses, and didn’t like them at all. My first objection was that it was too “fat” for my hand to fit around and hold comfortably--it was a teardrop shaped wine glass, and my hand got tired of having to stretch around it to hold it. the second problem was that the glass was twice as big as a regular wine glass, therefore it was hard to judge how much wine you were actually drinking. Give me the elegant stem, any day.

I confess I’ve never used stemless glasses, so consider the source of my comment, but I’ll have to agree with the previous thoughts. There’s an elegance to a stemed wine glass that adds to the experience (of course, I’ll admit, for even casual dinners at my place, even on a Monday, I’ll use my cheaper stemmed glasses for water so I may not be the perfect example of an “everyday” wine drinker/host). I want my guests, whether they be good friends, family or special guests from across the ocean (I live in France) I want them to feel welcome and honored at my table.

And tinted, colored glasses have no place at any table, no matter how noble the cause.

I am so glad to read the above comments. If a restaurant served me wine in a stemless glass, I’d refuse it. And there is nothing “hip” about making that statement (Is the word “hip” still in current use?) I wash all my Riedel in the dishwasher. The only breakage is when I have banged two together, and yes, they were my special Vinums! Careless of me. And my everyday water goblets are stemmed. And even my cheapest wine tastes better in a stemmed glass.

Glad the topic has stirred some debate. Not surprising - the topic of wine stemware tends to do that. It’s amazing how much research has gone into making glasses made specifically for a varietal (and now terroir specific like Oregon Pinot Noir vs. Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir) and then both proving and disproving whether it actually makes a difference.

One of the wonderful things about wine is the passionate response it evokes.

Thanks,
Anu (Swirl column writer)

I was curious what people would say about these glasses. My initial reaction is that it was a fun take on a standard, but after using them, I have to agree warm hands and finger prints aren’t so good.
In our house, we serve our house red in a big goblet, I believe it does taste better in the bigger glass, and it makes the evening wine more special.
But, ans Ms. Karwa says...viva la difference!

99 nights out of 100 we use stemless glasses at home. Just so much easier to deal with. I don’t spend more than a cumulative minute or two actually holding a glass during dinner (that’s what the table/coasters are for), so I don’t notice a temperature issue.

I must say that I also debated the issue, but decided to get the stemless for use at dinner.
As Hank said, you do only hold the glass for a few seconds when you drink, then put it back, and the advantage of the stemless is that they are a lot more stable with the “traffic” around the table.

That’s interesting: i personally find glasses with stems to be a lot more stable. I’ve seen far more tip-overs with the stemless kind than the traditional stems which I’ve found to be very stable. I guess there’s just not a lot that anyone can say that would convince me to use stemless glasses but I have always been a staunch supporter of allowing - encouraging! - people to do what works for them so I say to the stemless masses “Have at it and enjoy!”