Evolution of the Champagne glass

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GLASSWARE FOR CHAMPAGNE, A LOT OF US THINK THERE’S AN OBVIOUS ANSWER – THE TRUSTY FLUTE. BUT ELEVENTH GENERATION GLASS MAKING COMPANY RIEDEL, WHO INVEST HEAVILY INTO OBSESSING ABOUT THE NUANCES OF GLASSWARE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO, ARE ON A CRUSADE TO RE-EDUCATE CHAMPAGNE DRINKERS ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO ENJOY THE WORLD’S MOST CELEBRATED DRINK. THEY BELIEVE THAT WHEN IT COMES TO BUBBLY, YOU SHOULD IGNORE THE BUBBLES ALTOGETHER AND THINK OF CHAMPAGNE JUST LIKE ANY OTHER WINE. THIS MEANS THAT, LIKE ANY GOOD WINE, CHAMPAGNE NEEDS A GOOD WINE GLASS.

CHAMPAGNE GLASSES HAVE GONE through a huge evolution over the years, more so than any other type of glassware. The coupe was notably the first glass designed specifically for Champagne. Rumour has it that this glass was modelled on Marie Antoinette’s left breast; however the origin of the glass pre-dates the French Queen by more than a century so, while a good story, it isn’t true; although she certainly did help to raise the profile of the glass. We all know she was a big fan of cake, and the short sides and wide bowl allowed the indulgent user to dip their cake in their Champagne. After all, even in the midst of a Revolution and public accusations of over-indulgence and excessive spending, you should still be able to enjoy your favourite gâteaux soaked in Champagne!

As with all fashion trends, the coupe’s popularity has come full circle and is on the up again, thanks in part to The Great Gatsby and Mad Men. Even Kate Moss is on board; in 2014 she celebrated 25 years working in the fashion industry by bringing out a coupe that really was designed on the shape of her left breast. And while you might like the idea of drinking Champagne off Kate Moss, oenophiles know that this project typifies exactly what the coupe is: fashion. The short, open shape of the bowl does little to express the depth and profile of the wine. Its design causes the Champagne to go flat quickly and disperses the aroma straight out the top. When you consider that 70 per cent of our perception of flavour comes from aroma, this means you’re missing out on 70 per cent of your experience. Now let’s say you’ve just paid $90 for a bottle of Champagne’s finest – serve it in a Coupe, and you’re throwing about $63 worth of flavour away. Who wants to use this glass now?

The evolution of Champagne glassware next moved to the flute, which is still the most popular glass for drinking Champagne. The long, slim shape enlivens the bead of the Champagne, and all good quality flutes are designed with a ‘nucleation point’. This is specifically a small scratch or mark at the base of the bowl, which agitates the Champagne and encourages it to stay bubbly as you drink. Flutes remain popular for this reason, and because they are the perfect pour size for toasting and celebrating, which is the most common motivation to crack open a bottle.

The downside of the flute is that, as with the coupe, it doesn’t give you great expression of aroma due to its slim opening. While you can purchase some flutes with wider, more rounded bowls, such as Riedel’s Vinum XL Champagne or the stunning Vitis that graces our front cover, many do not give you a complete picture of the rich and complex aromatics.

In the quest for the perfect vessel for enjoying Champagne, Riedel began hosting sensory workshops, where the known and knowledgeable of the wine industry inhaled and tasted the same Champagne from up to 14 different glass shapes. The goal was to find a shape that would present the beverage in its most balanced and expressive form. They discovered something long suspected – that the best glass for Champagne is a wine glass, determined by the grape variety, whether that’s Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.

Using a wine glass has the advantage of allowing you enough room to swirl the beverage before you take that allimportant, nose-right-in-the-glass sniff. Eleventh generation Maximilian has said on the topic, “Champagne is a wine and deserves to be treated as such. Whether enjoying a Blanc de Blancs or a Cuvée, our Champagne wine glass allows the range of aromas of Champagne to unfold

in a way which is not possible with a narrow flute.”

For leaner Champagnes derived from Chardonnay like Blanc de Blancs, a tall white wine glass with a tulip shape, such as Riedel’s Heart to Heart Riesling glass, performed exceptionally well to develop but not overwhelm the aromas within the well-sized bowl.

For richer Champagnes derived from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, the Vinum XL Pinot Noir was unbeatable for performance. Developing the aromatics, flavour, and overall profile, it outperformed all other glasses and flutes by a mile to show wonderful depth and character. It showed Champagne to be a deliciously complex wine, for drinking and enjoying, rather than just as a toast or starter. Bollinger now commonly use this glass when they are promoting their vintage Champagnes and particularly their Rosés, where the full flavours of strawberries and plums are elevated to dangerously delicious levels.

Using their findings, Riedel designed their latest series Veritas featuring a Champagne Glass instead of a flute. They are the first company to design a glass based on the sensory experience of the pros, whether they are sommeliers, masters of wine, or winemakers. The Veritas Champagne Glass has a round curved shape with a small opening, which envelops and promotes the aroma whilst still maintaining carbonation.

The advantages of using a wine glass to drink Champagne are multiple, and not news to those in the know. Most major Champagne houses use wine glasses in their tasting rooms and many of the branded glasses you find in bars and restaurants mimic the now-recognizable tulip shape. What they know, and what we’re now learning, is that serving their Champagnes in a vessel that doesn’t allow proper aromatic expression does a disservice to all the hard work that has gone into it.

But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t debate surrounding the topic. Both sides of the argument have been hotly discussed by Champagne lovers versus Champagne traditionalists. Dom Pérignon is said to have been the first to adopt the flute as Champagne’s nominated vessel, saying he enjoyed being able to “watch the dance of the sparkling atoms.” On the other side of the argument, Olivier Krug, current Director and the great-great-greatgrandson of the founder, is adamant that, “A great Champagne cannot offer its fullest expression in a narrow glass.”

With an increasing number of ways to educate yourself about wine and Champagne, whether that be online blogs and tasting notes, small in-store tastings at your local bottle shop or big fair-style events based solely on a single variety or region, drinkers are becoming more knowledgeable and therefore more particular about service. It’s rare that anyone would purchase a bottle of vintage Champagne and feel good about serving it out of a plastic cup, but whether you choose a flute or wine glass will usually come down to your individual preference.

Ultimately, Champagne is not just a drink but a symbol of celebration and festivity. The glass that works best for you is going to be a personal choice, based on what you like, and what suits the circumstances. However, if you do count yourself amongst those who’d walk hot coals for a glass of Champagne, we recommend you try a glass versus flute comparison the next time you’ve opened something special. Our only warning is that we don’t recommend that you try this experiment in large numbers. Once you try Champagne from a big beautiful wine glass, you may not want to share! ❧

LEFT TO RIGHT: Coupe, Flute, Flute, Pinot Noir Glass, Veritas Champagne Glass