Highball Glasses
How to serve wine without a wine glass?
I picked up some wine for a friend this week. She enjoys wine, but I don’t drink it. I just realized I don’t have wine glasses and I don’t have time to pick them up. Plus. like I said, I’m not a wine drinker.
How should I serve it? I have regular kitchen glasses, I have highball glasses, and I have martini glasses?
What do you think?
Thanks for your answers so far. I think the empty miller high life can or right into her hands will work great.
But seriously, thanks. I’ll probably just use the highball glass if she doesn’t remember to bring glasses over. Then, I’ll pick up some of my own.
Okay, just you know – I got the scoop from a German vinter:
Q: Why is wine served in stem glasses?
A: So you can pick up the glass without touching the part of the glass where the wine is. Wine is sensitive and has to be chilled at particular temperatures for its proper taste (bouquette) to unfold.
If you pick up your wine glass and cup the tulip part (like most people do, who don’t know beans about wine), your fingers warm up the wine, and before you know it, the wine is too warm and tastes different (if not “funny”).
Below is a wine temperature chart link to determine the ideal temperature.
Q: What if you don’t have stemware?
A: No big deal. If you only have highball glasses, serve them in highball glasses, but don’t fill them more than halfway. Tell your girlfriend all you now know about serving chilled wine, and tell her to pick her glass up by the rim.
If she still thinks this is “weird” or just “plain stupid”, then tell her you found out that most of the time when you go to chose wine from vinters, or “Vinzer” as they are called in Germany, you don’t get served in stemware. They serve wine trials in large shot glasses, because you are supposed to drink a “trial gulp” before it changes its ideal temperature.
Believe it or not, serving wine at the ideal temperature is much more important than in the “right” glass.
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Mouth-blown 13-oz Baja Highball Glasses (Set of  $47.99 Add a fun bit of color to your decor with this set of eight highball glasses. Perfect for ice tea, lemonade and cocktails, this set is crafted of mouth-blown glass. |
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Lorenzo Melodia 6-piece High Ball Glasses Set $45.48 This Melodia high ball set from Lorenzo features crystal construction and classic styling. This six-piece set also features 11-ounce capacity and is dishwasher safe. |
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Mikasa Cheers Too 19.75-oz Highball Glasses (Set of 4) $34.99 The fun and whimsical designs of the Cheers Too collection set a festive mood at any gathering. Each glass in this Mikasa set of four glasses is precision-etched with a different, yet coordinating design. |
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Set of 6 Blown Glass ‘Pure Cobalt’ Highball Glasses (Mexico) $49.03 A soothing, tempered tone of cobalt invades this set of six highball glasses. Classic and tasteful, this set of glasses comes from the workshop of Javier and Efr’n, in Mexico. |
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Laurus Collection Crystal Highball Glasses (Set of 6) $44.69 Made in the Tuscany region of Italy by RCR Crystal, these elegant highball glasses make a classic addition to any table ware. This set of six 12-ounce highball glasses are made of real crystal, but is sturdy enough to be dishwasher safe. |