My Favorite Wine Glasses Aboard

Being a wine enthusiast, we’ve experimented with lots of wine glasses aboard boats over the past 15 years. Luckily the options seem to be improving every year.  Here are some that we’ve tried, either aboard our own cruising boat, on board friends’ boats, or just hanging out on the lake on our ski boat or friends’ pontoon boats.  Priced from just over $3 to $12.50 a glass, affordable, but practical and boat-friendly.

Polycarbonate Cabernet stemmed wine glasses … also made for pinot noir and chardonnay … 20 ounces, much nicer than traditional plastic glasses.  And also dishwasher safe, not that many boats have dishwashers aboard … my dishwasher’s named David.   The only drawback to these glasses for me was the tall, traditional shape … much tippier aboard than a stemless wine glass.

My favorite crystal wine glass aboard … Schott Zwiesel Triton Crystal … the best part is it’s stemless and it’s crystal, not as wonderful as my “real” crystal on land, but much much preferred over the other alternatives aboard.  The manufacturer claims that these made in Germany wine glasses are Tritan crystal, non-lead made of titanium and zirconium oxide which resists breaking and chipping for enjoying on a daily basis … used world wide for it’s durability and elegance.  Dishwasher safe, not that we have a dishwasher.   We started with two of these glasses aboard and now two years later, we have one.  It didn’t shatter, but neither did it survive when David dropped it.  They were hard to find, but now that I’ve located them on Amazon, I’m ordering more … we’ll keep a couple aboard and replenish as necessary since they’re $6 each.

An alternative that some friends prefer, Fusion makes a super-strong, lightweight magnesium glass fused with brilliant European crystal to form the most durable wine glasses in the world.  The only big downside to the Fusion crystal is they haven’t figured out that lots of people, including me, prefer a stemless wine glass these days.  But they do make varietal-specific, you can enjoy the pinot noir or chardonney glasses as well. Dishwasher safe.  Plus a limited warranty … “10-Year Limited Warranty In the unlikely event your Wine Enthusiast Fusion Glass breaks, we’ll replace it FREE.”  I have yet to try this warranty, but I’m not sure they’d consider life on a boat as party of the “limited warranty”.

WineTanium Stemless:  shatterproof, crystal clear, and – unlike other plastic glasses – safe to wash in the dishwasher. WineTanium® wine glasses are made of Tritan material, making them extremely durable and resistant to heat and stains. And unlike many polymers, Tritan is completely BPA free.  Crystal-clear WineTanium glasses also don’t absorb odors and tastes, and their glass-like brilliance means these wine glasses showcase a wine’s true taste, aromatics, and color much like fine wine glasses.

Stainless Stemless … if I weren’t so addicted to Govino wine glasses (see next) I’d definitely try a couple of these stainless stemless wine glasses!   From the manufacturer:  these wine glasses – minus the stem – are beautiful for serving red or white wine, and keep white wine chilled longer than glass or crystal. Made from 18/8 stainless steel with a beautiful satin finish exterior, mirror interior and 18-ounce capacity. Use them not only for wine, but also for juice and frozen drinks. Perfect poolside, on the boat, camping, or picnics!  If you prefer your wine glasses with a stem, they also make stems!

Govino … And, of course, the glasses we use day in & day out aboard sv Winterlude, GoVino … the Red Solo Cup for wine…. These amazing unbreakable glasses allow you to enjoy your favorite wine anywhere, anytime. Made from a proprietary, food-safe pharmaceutical grade polymer, govino glasses reflect a wine’s color and projects its aromatics much like crystal. To ensure the optimum wine tasting experience, replace your govino wine glasses after an extended period of use. Reuse it, abuse it, and eventually recycle it.

Speaking of Red Solo Cups … friends of ours have “the official and original redneck tailgating Red Solo Cup wine glass”.   A real Red Solo cup atop a glass base. You don’t get more authentic “redneck” than this! Great gag gifts. ” Red solo cup, I fill you up, Let’s have a party, let’s have a party, I love you red solo cup, I lift you up, Proceed to party, proceed to party.” Song by Toby Keith.

The original wine glasses we have aboard – unbreakable, low center of gravity so even with a stem, they don’t tip and the nonskid around the bottom is a definite plus.  They’re dishwasher safe and the ultimate in practical.  We still have four of these hidden in the back of the cupboard for when we have extra guests.  They’re almost 15 years old and the only deterioration we’ve seen from heat in the tropics is the nonskid ring has slightly yellowed.  Other than that, they’ve held up beautifully.

And last, but far from least, the wine glass you need for watching the sunset from the dinghy, or even if you’re having a problem keeping fruit flies, flies or bees from enjoying your wine faster than you can consume it … VinoToGo, the insulated wine sippy cup.  Not my first choice, but definitely practical for enjoying wine in a dinghy!

Have I missed any of your favorites?  Please leave a comment and share!  Cheers!  Jan