Talk to me about wine glasses

[WhereMyRosemaryGoes]

I've decided my wine glasses are boring. They're thin glass that's completely flat. Like everyone has these days. I want to have the sort that my grandparents had, like the picture, with bumps. What have you got? Are crystal glasses better? I once went on holiday with a chap who made a big fuss about needing to use the only crystal glass for his wine, but he was a knob so I'm not sure.

Have a gander on John Pye auctions op-they often have things like this on there if you trawl through.

Fuchsia
These are my current favourite tumblers. (Courtesy of Oxfam). I got the similar honeysuckle ones from the British Heart Foundation.

Wine Glasses & Goblets - Shop By Type - Drinkware (royalscotcrystal.com)
They're expensive new! ask any elderly relatives, they might have some sitting in the back of a cupboard that they're willing to clear out.

I adore crystal glasses! There's a brilliant essay on how crystal glasses don't affect the wine you drink but they do enhance the experience. It's actually about typography, but that's by the bye.

I have two main patterns. I have the Dartington glasses that were in fashion when we married c2006. Large and smooth. I have my mother's Stuart crystal from the 70s, cut glass and straight sides and much smaller. I prefer them for dinner parties. Unless you're drinking something very fragrant you don't need a huge bowl .

I'd get vintage for the best experience. People sell sets of crystal on eBay all the time,.often hardly used.

It's not necessarily cheap on eBay though - I have lovely Edinburgh Crystal Sonata design (early 90s) but we were down to 3 wine glasses. After looking on and off over the years I finally found 9 on eBay but they were probably the same or more per glass than they cost new! I reckon charity shops are the best bet. Anyway I have 12 now so very happy!

The charity shops in my area have loads of them.
Waterford Crystal was the thing for a wedding gift in muddle class Ireland in the 60s, 70s and early 80s.

We have plain everyday glasses, and Waterford for when we have guests. They were a wedding present, now discontinued and cost close to £100 a glass by then. I did get some more on eBay - cheaper and I suspect they are fake (because of the stamp), but they feel and sound the same so I don’t care. They are v heavy and lovely to hold, and surprisingly solid. We probably use them once a month, but I sometimes feel I should use them all the time.

Auctions are another good source as well as eBay and charity shops.

I have a mismatched collection of old wine glasses that I’ve picked up from charity shops, house clearances and car boots over the years. I think some were quite fancy… in 1988. And another one I suspect was an Esso Tiger Tokens one. I kind of like that they have a history of goodness knows who slurping wine out of them before me.

If you don’t need them all to match, and you don’t mind getting them one or two at a time, charity shops are The Way. Go to ones in towns where lots of elderly people live (and die). You’ll always find quality glassware, eventually.

Def TK maxx if you can.
you can get a set of 6 for circa £15.
get a set for white and a set for red if you’re feeling fancy.
also good champagne glasses for similar price.
lots of options to close from.

I use tumblers for all drinks, as CBA with glasses egtting broken.