On the other, a clear eschewing of function for aesthetics. On one end of the spectrum is extreme attention to precision. Today, depending on the venue, wine comes served in all shapes-jam jars, sherry copitas, bistro tumblers, even squat Old-Fashioned glasses. Eventually, the pendulum began to swing back, giving rise to the all-purpose or universal glass as well as the polarizing stemless tumbler. Leading the charge in specialization was Riedel, which carries stemware for everything from “oaked chardonnay” and pinot noir to port and gin. The tavern glass stands in stark contrast to the trends of the 1980s and ’90s, when glasses fabricated for specific grapes or styles of wine became emblematic of fine dining and wine expertise. “The style is one of several more casual forms that suggests a break from-even a defiance of-the dogmatic rules that guided the world of wine only two decades ago. (In my best estimation, the term “tavern glass” originates from an iteration by HAY, a Danish design company owned by MillerKnoll that specializes in good-looking functional objects, including pastel-hued toasters and candy-colored geometric desk trays.) The style is one of several more casual forms that suggests a break from-even a defiance of-the dogmatic rules that guided the world of wine only two decades ago.

Schott Zwiesel makes a version similar to Riedel’s, and Wine Enthusiast employs its own Fusion Air short stem as the “official glass” of its tasting panel. There are chunky, wide-diameter versions like the stackable Bormioli or the ribbed, straight-sided Ripple glasses from Ferm Living. The Riedel Vinum Water glass is part of a style known as the “bistro” or “tavern” glass. (I still cry every time I break a Zalto.) It was just a feeling, really. I hadn’t put too much thought into why I was drawn to it, except that it had all the trappings of a proper long-stemmed glass, but was less fussy and delicate. Short-stemmed with a smaller-than-average bowl, I noted it years ago at Via Carota, Rita Sodi and Jody Williams’ Italian restaurant in Manhattan’s West Village. When I began the process of opening a wine shop and bar, I knew exactly which wine glass I would use.

French bistro stemless wine glasses