You get wine with appetizers, dinner and even brunch. So why wouldn’t you have it for dessert? We aren’t talking about spending time at a wine bar after dinner with your friends, though. There’s a specific group of wine that falls into the dessert character, and your favorite cab isn’t a member of this exclusive club. Ports, madeira wine, sherry, cordials, a selection of sweet white wines and any fortified wine that is technically over 14 percent alcohol. Your average glass of wine has about 12 percent. These wines are traditionally paired with sweet desserts, like cakes, so the flavors match.
There are specific glasses made for these fortified wines. They’re typically much smaller than your average glass and are a little taller, so the flavors come out properly. Plus, you’re drinking a higher alcohol content wine, so the smaller glass makes sense from that standpoint. These elegant little glasses are stronger than they look, though. You don’t only need to pull these out when you’re pouring some port. Throw your wine tasting party and use these glasses for your smaller tasters.
We rounded up the best dessert wine glasses below. Add a hobby to your list that Frasier and Niles Crane would approve of.
1. Riedel VINUM Port Glasses
If you’re a big fan of port, this elegant glass from Riedel was specifically designed for this rich, fruity wine. The company Riedel has been around more than 300 years and has been making crystal for the entire time, so you know that your wine is in good (glass) hands with them. The dishwasher safe glass can hold 8.5 oz. of wine and is meant to help give you an ideal port-drinking experience.
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2. Cascata 6 oz Dessert and Port Wine Glass
These small 6 oz. dessert wine glasses might not be as big as what you’re used to drinking out of, but they’re meant to be smaller to make your choice of dessert wine as flavorful as possible. You get six dessert wine glasses with this set. Don’t worry if someone goes a little too hard on the port though, these wine glasses are chip-resistant and made out of tempered glass to make them more durable.
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3. Port and Dessert Wine Tasting Glasses
Hand-blown and made out of lead-free crystal, these luxurious dessert wine glasses are designed in the time-trusted tulip shape. Designed for whichever dessert wine you put in it, ranging from port to a sweet white wine, these little glasses are meant to be filled up to the widest part. That way you can get all of the wine’s flavors. The set of six glasses come in an elegant box, making it a perfect gift.
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