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Below is a short explanation about the different types of stemware.
Stemware is a general term used to refer to drinkware that has some type of stem. Stem styles vary in length and girth. There are many variations and designs of stemware. Each style is unique and serves a multitude of purposes.
Goblet This is the largest piece of stemware; it holds from nine to twelve fluid ounces. It is always used for water in formal dining, but at an informal dinner, its use is optional.
Red Wine Today, with the exception of Waterford, most formal patterns offer just one size of red wine glasses. Burgundy and Bordeaux have their own special stemware. An all-purpose wine glass will have a rounded bowl that tapers slightly toward the rim to contain the wine’s bouquet.
White Wine A white wine glass has a bowl that is smaller than red, and the sides are a little straighter because white wine does not have as intense an aroma as red. Never fill more than half of a stemware in order to concentrate on the wine’s more delicate bouquet.
Hock Wine These are white wines from the Rhine Valley and are named for their growing area, Hockenheim. Initially, Hock wines were served in stemware with a colored bowl to hide the wine’s cloudiness, but today these wines are no longer cloudy. Queen Victoria, whose ancestors on her mother’s side were from the house of Saxony Cobert, introduced Hock wines to England. Rhine wines are served in long-stemmed glasses with small squared-off bowls. These are often not available as part of a regular stemware pattern.
Champagne The most common shape available today is the flute which has a long, narrow bowl to preserve the effervescence of the bubbles. It has supplanted the traditional saucer champagne, which has a shallow wide bowl, letting bubbles escape too quickly to today’s tastes. In the past, a gentleman always carried his own swizzle stick which he used to take out the bubbles—not make more.
Cocktail Strictly speaking, a cocktail glass should not be included in a formal stemware grouping; cocktails are never served at the formal dining table.
Cordial There are many different after-dinner drinks, and almost every single one has its own special glass. Cordial glasses are never flared because the cordial’s aroma must be contained in the glass so the drinker can savor it. These glasses have very small bowls because liqueurs are very concentrated and only a small amount is taken.
Sherry The one apéritif that is still used at a formal table is the sherry glass to accompany the soup course. Today, it is rarely available in stemware patterns but is sold as a specialty glass.
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