September 2021 – WineLoverMagazine

Wine glasses are both elegant and practical. Their purpose is to highlight your wine’s aromas, and they allow you to aerate it properly and inspect it visually before drinking. But they are also fragile and tend to break easily. To solve this problem, you should consider unbreakable wine glasses. Unbreakable wine glasses are made from materials that are at least far less fragile than glass, so they survive if you tip them over or drop them to the ground. In many cases, they also have a different shape than regular wine glasses. Besides the increased durability, unbreakable wine glasses have multiple advantages but also disadvantages. In this article, we will discuss them all. ADVANTAGES OF SHATTERPROOF WINE GLASSES Unbreakable wine glasses have several advantages over regular wine glasses. All of them are related to their shape or the material they are made of: Shatterproof wine glasses are typically more stable, so they do not fall over as quickly as regular ones. In many cases, the main reason for their increased stability is the lack of a long stem. Even if they fall over, unbreakable wine glasses do not shatter. Of course, most of them are not entirely indestructible; if you run a car over them, they will break. But in everyday situations, the risk of breakage is at least massively reduced and in the best case, non-existent. Another advantage is that you can clean most unbreakable wine glasses in your dishwasher. Regular glass or crystal glasses can break during the cleaning process. In contrast, with only a few exceptions, shatterproof vessels are dishwasher-safe. When made from stainless steel or copper, shatterproof wine glasses are better isolated than glass or crystal vessels. Logically, they keep your wine chilled longer. Especially for outdoor venues, that is a massive advantage. DISADVANTAGES OF SHATTERPROOF WINE GLASSES Where there is light, there is also shade. And of course, shatterproof wine glasses have some disadvantages: Many unbreakable glasses are made from non-transparent materials such as stainless steel or copper. These vessels do not allow you to observe a wine's color or its legs. For wine lovers, this visual inspection is an essential part of the experience, though. Thus, you must evaluate whether security or wine observation is more important to you. Wine glasses shall emphasize even subtle aromas. Therefore, their design, including the bowl size and the rim shape, varies based on the wine it is made for. Unbreakable glasses typically have standard forms, and thus, they are less suited for optimizing wine taste. Another disadvantage might result from the lack of a stem. As your hand is much closer to the wine than when using a glass with a stem, the wine will heat up faster beyond the optimal drinking temperature. Depending on the material, this disadvantage might be evened out, though. WHICH UNBREAKABLE WINE GLASS IS BEST? The best unbreakable wine glass depends on your personal preferences. Do you want to allow your wine to showcase its full potential, including the most subtle aromas? Do you enjoy inspecting wine color and legs? Are you willing to hand-clean your glasses, or do you need dishwasher-safe vessels? Depending on your answers to these questions, specific types of glasses might be better or worse for you. Let’s discuss the different types and the materials they are made from. Which Materials Are Unbreakable Wine Glasses Made Of? Manufacturers use several materials to produce unbreakable wine glasses. They all have in common that they are resilient against chipping, scratches, and breakage. These are the most common materials for making an unbreakable wine glass: Plastic glasses are durable, light, and easy to transport. Typically, they have a better grip than glass or crystal as well. Furthermore, they can have different colors, which is a great way to distinguish them when serving bigger parties. But unfortunately, plastic vessels tend to leak after being used for a long time, so their lifespan is limited. Also, they are not ideal for supporting a wine's aromas. Cheap products can even impart chemical flavors to the beverage. Stainless steel is a trendy alternative to glass because it is both durable and affordable. The special composition makes stainless steel vessels also resistant to oxidation. It has a much longer lifespan than plastic or glass cups and a better capability to keep wine cool. The major disadvantage of stainless steel is that it is not transparent. So you cannot observe a wine’s color or the behavior of wine legs like in a glass vessel. Copper is another metal alternative. Just like steel, it is shatterproof, well-isolated, and has an enormous lifespan. The reddish color makes a copper wine glass an eyecatcher that fits perfectly in vintage or industrial-style kitchens and medieval-themed parties. However, be aware that most copper vessels are not dishwasher-safe. Tritan Crystal Glass is a patented material developed by the German glassware company Schott Zwiesel. By using oxides of titanium and zirconium, the designers were able to increase its durability enormously. Tritan Crystal Glass is an extraordinary material for wine glasses for several reasons: It is durable and (almost) unbreakable. It is just as brilliant as regular glass or crystal. It can be used to make unbreakable wine glasses that look just like regular wine glasses. It is eco-friendly and does not contain any lead or barium. If you’re looking for unbreakable wine glasses that feel like glass, the Tritan Crystal Glass vessels are just perfect for you. As Schott Zwiesel holds a patent for this material, you won’t find other manufacturers producing them. MATERIALGlass / CrystalPlasticStainless SteelCopperTritan Crystal GlassDURABILITYlowmediumvery highvery highhighLIFESPANmediumshortlonglonglongTRANSPARENTyesvariousnonoyesAROMA-FRIENDLYyesnopartlypartlyyesDISHWASHER-SAFEpartlyyesusually yesusually noyesComparison of Materials for Unbreakable Wine Glasses Unbreakable Stemless Wine Glasses Regular wine glasses have long stems. Their purpose is to keep the drinker's warm hand away from the wine so it can keep its optimal temperature as long as possible. But the long stems also make the glasses unstable. A light, unintentional touch often is enough to tip them over. Unbreakable stemless wine glasses or glasses with very short stems solve this problem. Their center of gravity is much closer to the surface, so they are much more stable than regular wine glasses. Especially on uneven grounds in the park or at the beach, these vessels reduce the risk of spoiling delicious wine accidentally. Be aware that stemless wine glasses are not necessarily unbreakable. When made from glass or crystal, they can break. However, they are not as prone to falling over as regular glasses with long stems. Unbreakable Wine Glasses with Lid When enjoying wine in nature, you expose it to risks you would not face indoors. For instance, flying sand might invade your glass on a windy day on the beach. Insects such as bees or mosquitos can be another problem. To keep dirt and insects out of your glass, consider an unbreakable wine glass with a lid. Besides avoiding contamination, lids also reduce the risk of spoiling wine, and they help keep your wine cool. Again, not every wine glass with a lid is unbreakable. But typically, they are more stable, and they are good alternatives when drinking wine in nature. Unbreakable Personalized Wine Glasses No matter if you give them to birthday girls or boys, colleagues who celebrate their anniversary, or a newlywed couple, wine glasses are great gifts for wine lovers. And by personalizing them, you connect the beautiful memories of the party to the gift. Of course, you can personalize wine glasses, no matter whether they are unbreakable or not. The options are endless: the names of the celebrating hosts (the birthday boy/girl, the wedding couple, etc.) the name of the person receiving the gift if it is not the host (for example, a bridesmaid/bridesman) the celebration date a quote or a similar meaningful message Wine lovers who enjoy being outdoors might value unbreakable personalized wine glasses that are stemless, have lids, or are isolated. FINAL WORDS Unbreakable wine glasses are useful vessels when enjoying wine outdoors – or when you tend to knock over things. With the information from this article, you are ready to find the shatterproof glasses that serve you best. So get ready to enjoy your favorite beverage wherever you want.