The wine glasses suck!!!

So you have been invited to a Christmas gathering (one day, two whatever) and you just know that the host/hostess has no clue about suitable glasswear. Especially as you, the visitor, are bringing some decent wines for the event! What do you do?

Unless you have an understanding with the hosts and can bring appropriate glasses for all the guests, I think you are stuck with what they have.

Have a good time whatever the glassware!

Unless you have an understanding with the hosts and can bring appropriate glasses for all the guests, I think you are stuck with what they have.

Have a good time whatever the glassware!

One thought I had was to bring some glasses as a present but that might be too obvious. No doubt, I will get other ideas!!!

I'll have to agree w/ Bob. Unless you want to embarass your host, just go with the flow and drink with whatever is handy.

We attended a gathering several months ago and ended up drinking a very nice Rhone in 1960's era blue tinted martinis glasses..::sigh::: Personally I would have preferred a paper cup...

Richard

So you have been invited to a Christmas gathering (one day, two whatever) and you just know that the host/hostess has no clue about suitable glasswear. Especially as you, the visitor, are bringing some decent wines for the event! What do you do?

You don't be a snob. Drink the wine out of their glasses.

Yeah and we have not thought of the bubbly glasses yet!!! Up here we have Value Village, a sort of 2nd hand store run for charity whatever. Wonder if some people buy their glasses at this place!!!! What a terrible selection but for a good cause however.

Hey Bob, I empathize.

You may just have to roll with it, however, I don't think buying the host a set of decent wine glasses is out of the question. It is Christmas, after all. And it's all in how you do it. Just be tactful.

If cost is an issue, Ikea has cheap glassware. A decent red wine glass is a little more than a buck. I use them for parties - if one gets broken, it's no big deal.

Sure a lot better than Value Village.

Bob,
It's Christmas. Be the spirit of Christmas and give them some glasses as gifts. (Oh, I see Mike just said that).
Otherwise, just drink the wine out of their glasses and don't even mention it. Enjoy the wine, the people and the festivities of the season.

Thanks Sue, presents so far include a can-opener as well as Rachael Rays new book and a birding T shirt for my buddy!!! I will be wearing my "Wine Tasting Champ" shirt at some time just to rub it in.

Sorry Bob, but whenever I hear the terms "appropriate glasses" or "appropriate stemware", I wince. It's not that we don't have an extensive selection of stemware laying around. It's just that so long as it is glass and I can get my lips around the rim, I'm happy; particularly at a party.

Good point Carl. I went out this morning to do some shopping at a big mall and took a look around the big mega-stores. Goodness, there is some terrible glassware out there however. Made me winch!!!

Well, I'll be the devil's advocate once again. I see nothing wrong with calling (or emailing) ahead on time and asking, "Hey, you know what a wine geek I am. Do you have any problem with me bringing my travel case with wine glasses?"

When I put on tastings in my home, I always use Riedel Vinum Gourmet glasses. I have a large stock of them and can host a tasting in reasonable fashion. I have an even geekier circle of wine friends who like to bring their own Riedel Sommeliers Bordeaux Grand Cru glasses. More power to them -- less glasses for me to wash.

It's wine PC run amok I tell you, run amok!

If you are the only one who will enjoy the high level wine and you don't want to bring your own glasses, bring lesser wine. It isn't a geek outing, Bob, so why not drop the geekdom for it?

On Sunday I was forced to drink wine out of a plastic cup. It curbed my consumption, but I did it--once. Yuck!

Rather than the glasses, is the wine the problem?

If they like good wine, chances are they'll have good glasses (and if not, then the glasses make the perfect present!)

If they don't like good wine, what are you wasting your good stuff on them for

regards

Ian

Rather than the glasses, is the wine the problem?

If they like good wine, chances are they'll have good glasses (and if not, then the glasses make the perfect present!)

If they don't like good wine, what are you wasting your good stuff on them for

regards

Ian

Hey champ, we missed you on the mystery white wine tasting last night here.!!! My hosts seem to like good wine and I have been there many times in the summer but was never impressed with the glasses at all. I am taking some nice wines along for sure including a Rhone, Okanagan PG, some NZ SB, Seghesio Zin and my $40 Prosecco!!

Happy Hols Ian.

If you are the only one who will enjoy the high level wine and you don't want to bring your own glasses, bring lesser wine. It isn't a geek outing, Bob, so why not drop the geekdom for it?

On Sunday I was forced to drink wine out of a plastic cup. It curbed my consumption, but I did it--once. Yuck!

Yeah know what you mean! After all we go to Greece and drink good wine out of water glasses!!!!

Rather than the glasses, is the wine the problem?

If they like good wine, chances are they'll have good glasses (and if not, then the glasses make the perfect present!)

If they don't like good wine, what are you wasting your good stuff on them for

regards

Ian

Hey champ, we missed you on the mystery white wine tasting last night here.!!! My hosts seem to like good wine and I have been there many times in the summer but was never impressed with the glasses at all. I am taking some nice wines along for sure including a Rhone, Okanagan PG, some NZ SB, Seghesio Zin and my $40 Prosecco!!

Happy Hols Ian.

Bob
A good job I missed it - I was going to guess a 2003 Gruner Veltliner from Austria or the (Australian) Houghton HWB. Not exactly close!

If they like good wine, then a riedel 4 glass mixed box set (our original venture into Riedels was such a gift from my sister) might go down well. One box each and that's next years christmas present to them sorted out!

Have great time yourself.

Ian

GV? Now theres one for the future!! Nice wines showing up over here Ian.

[Jenise]

I'm with Bucko, Thomas and Ian. If we were good enough friends, I'd bring the glassware--make it an educational thing. Tell them, "I thought it would be fun to experiment with the way different glasses show wines." Any time I've put the same wine in two very different glasses to show someone, I've made a believer out of them. But if they're not people you know well enough to prod that way, you have no choice but to choose between taking lesser wines or taking your lumps on their glassware.

I'm with Bucko, Thomas and Ian. If we were good enough friends, I'd bring the glassware--make it an educational thing. Tell them, "I thought it would be fun to experiment with the way different glasses show wines." Any time I've put the same wine in two very different glasses to show someone, I've made a believer out of them. But if they're not people you know well enough to prod that way, you have no choice but to choose between taking lesser wines or taking your lumps on their glassware.

That approach might work at some events, but at a Christmas gathering I believe demonstrating the effectiveness of different wine glasses would cause a distraction from the purpose of the get-together. I'd just roll with the flow.

[Jenise]

That's what I meant by "if" they're good-enough friends, Howie. With some friends there are no limits no matter the event.

With some friends there are no limits no matter the event.

I've heard about those wild naked Twister parties.... ahem.

I've heard about those wild naked Twister parties.... ahem.

You should have been to the Chess Club's party - everyone was studying mating postions!

Bob, I don't think that I am quite the wine guru that you are but I do have a lot of parties under my belt. I like good wine glasses as much as the next guy and really enjoy my wine that way. But I think that, for a Christmas party, you should just roll with it. My first thought was that if you know there won't be appropriate stemware, then you should bring more 'party friendly wines'. It seems that most people won't be thinking too hard about what is in their glass. Just my $0.02.