Best Champagne Glasses: Flute, Coupe or Tulip

The flute is traditional, the coupe is pretty, and the tulip is what the Champagne houses themselves recommend. Six glasses for the holidays and every celebration after.

By the Bonwits editorsUpdated September 25, 20266 picksSave to Pinterest

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Our top picks

6 picks, each linked to the exact listing

1
Best overallSpiegelau Definition Champagne Flutes, 9 oz, Set of 2
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2
The sensible entry pointSCHOTT ZWIESEL Tulip Champagne Glass (Set of 4), 10 Ounce
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3
If you want the coupeSCHOTT ZWIESEL Bar Special Champagne Bowl (Set of 6), 9.5 Ounce
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4
One glass for everythingGabriel-Glas StandArt Crystal Wine Glasses, Set of 2 with Gift Box
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5
The showpieceRiedel 4884/28 N Fatto A Mano Performance Champagne Glass, 13 oz
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6
If money is no objectZalto Denk'Art Champagne Glass, 2 Pack Box
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The champagne glass for New Year's Eve and after

Most households own champagne glasses they use twice a year, bought as a wedding present and kept at the back of a high shelf. That is fine. But if you are buying now, for the holidays or a New Year's Eve at home, it is worth knowing that the question of shape has mostly been settled.

The narrow flute keeps bubbles going and looks festive, but it gives the nose almost nothing to work with. The shallow coupe is the glass of old films and cocktail bars; the Union des Maisons de Champagne says plainly that it lets the bouquet escape and the mousse fade. The tulip, an egg-shaped bowl that narrows at the rim, is what the Champagne houses call the standard, and most serious makers now build their champagne glasses around it.

So the picks below lean to the tulip, with one proper flute-style glass, one coupe for people who want the look, and one glass for everything. They run from about $20 for four to about $160 for a single hand-finished stem.

How we chose

Shape. A bowl wide enough to hold aroma and a rim that narrows to keep it there. Straight flutes and wide coupes are included only where the look is the point.
A sparkling point. A small etched mark in the bottom of the bowl gives bubbles a place to form, so the stream stays fine and steady. Most picks have one.
Dishwasher tolerance. Glasses used a few times a year still need to survive the cleanup at 1 a.m. Every pick here is rated for the dishwasher by its maker.
Price per stem. Champagne glasses break at parties. We note the cost of losing one.

We read makers’ specifications, warranties, care instructions and the sources listed at the end. We do not accept paid placements. How we choose

The 6 picks, in detail

Best overallNo. 1

Spiegelau Definition Champagne Flutes, 9 oz, Set of 2

Our take. An ultra-light machine-made tulip that feels close to hand-blown, at a price you can replace.

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Made in: Germany
Keeps for: Years, with dishwasher use
Set: 2 glasses
Capacity: About 9 oz (250 ml)
Material: Lead-free crystal, machine made
Features: Egg-shaped bowl, sparkling point
Care: Dishwasher safe

Spiegelau is owned by Riedel, and Definition, introduced in 2021, is its thinnest machine-made line. The champagne glass has an egg-shaped bowl of about 250 ml (9 oz), a sparkling point, and a very fine rim. Retailers list the glass at about 100 grams, which is light for a glass made by machine.

This is the glass the Champagne houses describe: room in the bowl for aroma, a narrowing rim, a long stem to keep your hand off the wine. It is lead-free crystal made in Germany, and it goes in the dishwasher. For most households it is the right glass for the holidays and the occasional bottle through the year.

Skip it if you are buying for a crowd. Sold in pairs, it adds up quickly, and the Schott Zwiesel set does the party work for less.

The catch. Thin enough to feel fine, and so more likely to chip on a tap or a sink edge than a heavier restaurant glass.

The sensible entry pointNo. 2

SCHOTT ZWIESEL Tulip Champagne Glass (Set of 4), 10 Ounce

Our take. A slim tulip with a sparkling point, made in Germany, for about the price of one bottle of Prosecco.

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Made in: Germany
Keeps for: Years of dishwasher use
Set: 4 glasses
Capacity: About 10 oz
Height: 9.1 in
Material: Tritan crystal, lead-free
Features: Effervescent point, dishwasher safe

This is the champagne glass from Schott Zwiesel's Tulip line: a tall, slim bowl that swells slightly and closes at the rim, with an etched effervescent point in the bottom. It holds about 10 ounces and stands 9.1 inches tall, which is enough room to pour a proper glass and still leave space above the wine.

It is made in Germany in Zwiesel's Tritan crystal, a lead-free glass the company makes to stand up to commercial dishwashers, which is why its glasses turn up in so many hotels and restaurants. At roughly $5 a stem, it is the set to buy when you need twelve glasses for a party and do not want to mind the ones that break.

Skip it if you want a glass that feels special in the hand. It is sturdy rather than fine, and the rim is thicker than the crystal picks further down.

The catch. Sturdy and plain; it does the job well but will not be the thing guests remember.

If you want the coupeNo. 3

SCHOTT ZWIESEL Bar Special Champagne Bowl (Set of 6), 9.5 Ounce

Our take. A proper stemmed coupe in dishwasher-safe crystal, for people who choose the glass for how it looks on the table.

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Made in: Germany
Keeps for: Years of dishwasher use
Set: 6 glasses
Capacity: About 9.5 oz
Size: 6 in tall, 4.2 in across
Material: Tritan crystal, lead-free
Care: Dishwasher safe

The coupe is the wrong glass for tasting champagne. The bubbles spread out across the wide surface and fade, and the aroma goes with them. It is also the prettiest glass on a table, the one people reach for on New Year's Eve, and it doubles for cocktails served up, a sidecar or a daiquiri, and for sorbet.

Schott Zwiesel's Bar Special bowl is 6 inches tall and 4.2 inches across, holding about 9.5 ounces. It is made in Germany in the same Tritan crystal as the Tulip set, so it survives the dishwasher.

Skip it if champagne is the only thing you pour. A tulip will give you more of the wine, and a coupe is easy to spill when a room is crowded.

The catch. Champagne goes flat faster in a coupe, and the wide bowl spills when guests walk and talk.

One glass for everythingNo. 4

Gabriel-Glas StandArt Crystal Wine Glasses, Set of 2 with Gift Box

Our take. Skip champagne glasses entirely: a single universal wine glass that is often better for good champagne than a flute.

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Made in: Austria
Keeps for: Years of daily use
Set: 2 glasses, gift boxed
Capacity: About 16 oz
Material: Machine-made lead-free Austrian crystal
Designer: René Gabriel
Care: Dishwasher safe

Plenty of wine professionals now pour serious champagne into a white wine glass rather than a flute, because the wider bowl lets the wine show its aroma. Gabriel-Glas takes that to its conclusion. The Swiss wine critic René Gabriel designed a single universal glass for every wine, sparkling included.

The StandArt is the machine-made edition, drawn in one seamless piece of lead-free crystal. The bowl holds about 16 ounces, so a normal pour of champagne sits low in the glass with plenty of room above it. It goes in the dishwasher.

Skip it if you want the look of a champagne glass on the table. It does not have a sparkling point, so the bubbles are a little less showy, and to a guest it reads as a wine glass.

The catch. No sparkling point and no festive silhouette. It is a wine glass, which is the point.

The showpieceNo. 5

Riedel 4884/28 N Fatto A Mano Performance Champagne Glass, 13 oz

Our take. Riedel's hand-finished tulip with a black foot, made for a table where the glass is part of the evening.

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Made in: Austria (Kufstein)
Keeps for: Years, with care; the dishwasher is allowed
Sold as: Single glass, gift boxed
Capacity: About 13 oz
Height: About 9.8 in
Features: Optic bowl, sparkling point, dishwasher safe

Fatto a Mano Performance marries two of Riedel's lines: a machine-blown bowl, with the slight optic ribbing of its Performance glasses, joined to a stem and base finished by hand at Riedel's glassworks in Kufstein, Austria. The champagne glass is an egg-shaped tulip with a sparkling point, 9.8 inches tall, holding about 13 ounces.

This version has a clear stem and a black base, which sets off a pale wine in a way that photographs well and looks deliberate on a dark table. Riedel also makes a black-stem version and colored stems. It is dishwasher safe and ships in a single gift box.

Skip it unless the glass is a gift or a centerpiece. At about $159 each, it costs more than most bottles you will pour into it, and a set of six is a serious purchase.

The catch. The most expensive glass per stem here, and the black base is a strong look that will not suit every table.

If money is no objectNo. 6

Zalto Denk'Art Champagne Glass, 2 Pack Box

Our take. The mouth-blown champagne glass wine professionals choose, impossibly light and a pleasure to drink from.

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Made in: Austria
Keeps for: As long as you do not break it
Set: 2 glasses, boxed
Capacity: About 220 ml
Size: 9.4 in tall, 3 in at widest
Material: Hand-blown lead-free crystal
Care: Dishwasher recommended over hand washing

Zalto's Denk'Art glasses are hand-blown in lead-free crystal and named for Hans Denk, the Austrian priest and wine critic who helped design them. The champagne glass is a flute in outline with a slightly larger bowl, 9.4 inches tall and 3 inches across at its widest, holding about 220 ml. That is close to the ideal 22.5 cl the Champagne houses describe.

In the hand it weighs almost nothing and the rim is very thin, so there is nothing between you and the wine. The Manufactory, the retail arm of Zalto's US importer, recommends the dishwasher over hand washing, because twisting the bowl against the stem while drying is how most of these glasses break.

Skip it if you entertain with a crowd, have children in the house, or tend to hand-wash in a hurry. It is the best glass here for tasting and the least forgiving of a bump.

The catch. One broken glass costs about as much as a good bottle of champagne.

Compare the picks

Pick	Best for	Made in	Keeps for	Buy
Spiegelau Definition Champagne Flutes, 9 oz, Set of 2	Best overall	Germany	Years, with dishwasher use	Check priceAmazon
SCHOTT ZWIESEL Tulip Champagne Glass (Set of 4), 10 Ounce	The sensible entry point	Germany	Years of dishwasher use	Check priceAmazon
SCHOTT ZWIESEL Bar Special Champagne Bowl (Set of 6), 9.5 Ounce	If you want the coupe	Germany	Years of dishwasher use	Check priceAmazon
Gabriel-Glas StandArt Crystal Wine Glasses, Set of 2 with Gift Box	One glass for everything	Austria	Years of daily use	Check priceAmazon
Riedel 4884/28 N Fatto A Mano Performance Champagne Glass, 13 oz	The showpiece	Austria (Kufstein)	Years, with care; the dishwasher is allowed	Check priceAmazon
Zalto Denk'Art Champagne Glass, 2 Pack Box	If money is no object	Austria	As long as you do not break it	Check priceAmazon

Compared.

Every comparison

Flute, coupe or tulip

The flute shows off the bubbles and keeps them going, but its narrow opening hides the aroma. The coupe loses both bubbles and aroma quickly and is best kept for cocktails and the look of it. The tulip, wider in the middle and narrower at the rim, is the one the Champagne houses recommend, and it is the safest choice if you are buying only one set.

A white wine glass works nearly as well as a tulip. If you already own good ones, you may not need champagne glasses at all.

Washing, and why the bubbles die

Detergent residue and drying-cloth lint kill bubbles. Rinse champagne glasses well in hot water, use little or no soap, and let them air dry upside down or on a rack. If a glass from the dishwasher produces a sad, patchy stream, it probably needs a second rinse.

Store glasses upright. Rims are the thinnest part of the glass and the first to chip.

For New Year's Eve

A bottle of champagne fills five glasses two-thirds full, or eight half glasses for a toast at midnight. Buy glasses for the guest count plus a few, because one always breaks. Chill the wine, not the glasses; a frosted glass dulls the aroma.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best glass for champagne?

A tulip: a bowl that is wider in the middle and narrows at the rim. It keeps the bubbles and lets you smell the wine. The Union des Maisons de Champagne calls it the gold standard.

Is a flute or a coupe better for champagne?

The flute, for the wine. The coupe lets the bubbles and aroma escape quickly. Choose the coupe for its looks, or for cocktails.

What is the point at the bottom of a champagne glass?

It is a small etched spot, often called a sparkling or effervescent point. The rough surface gives carbon dioxide somewhere to form bubbles, so the stream rises from one place and lasts longer.

Can champagne glasses go in the dishwasher?

Every glass in this guide is rated dishwasher safe by its maker. Use a light dose of detergent and let them dry fully, since residue flattens the bubbles.

Can I drink champagne from a wine glass?

Yes, and many sommeliers prefer it for good champagne. A white wine glass or a universal glass like the Gabriel-Glas StandArt gives the wine more room than a flute.

How many champagne glasses do I need for a party?

One per guest plus two or three spares. A bottle pours five generous glasses, or eight half glasses for a toast.