Fortified wine · A sommelier’s guide
Port Wine Glasses: A Sommelier’s Buying Guide
By Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier15 years serving wine
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Short on time? The sommelier’s picks
Schott Zwiesel Bar Special Port Glass, set of 6$$
AmazonCheck today’s priceRiedel Vinum Port, set of 2$$$
AmazonCheck today’s priceGlassique Cadeau Port Sippers, set of 4$
AmazonCheck today’s price
The short answer
A port glass is a small tulip glass on a stem. Pour 40 to 80 ml of port and leave room for the nose.
Port is a fortified wine of about 20% alcohol with natural sweetness, so it wants a smaller glass and a smaller pour than table wine. One good port glass serves every red port style: ruby, tawny and vintage. White port and tonic goes in a tall glass with ice.
The shape
What does a port glass look like?
A port glass looks like a small wine glass: a tulip-shaped bowl on a stem, narrowing gently to the rim. It is clearly smaller than a red wine glass, and its stem is sturdier than most, so it is less fragile.
The narrow rim gathers port’s rich aromas and brings them to your nose, and the small bowl suits the small pour.
Why a different glass
Why port needs a smaller glass
Port is a fortified wine. During fermentation, the winemaker adds grape spirit. The fermentation stops, so the alcohol stays high, around 19 to 20%, and the grape’s natural sugar stays in the wine. Then it ages in oak.
That is why port doesn’t belong in a big Bordeaux or Burgundy glass. High alcohol and sugar call for a smaller glass and a smaller pour. Any small wine glass will do, but as a sommelier I have served port in the best glasses in the world, and below I show you the ones I recommend and why.
Size and pour
Port glass size: how big, and how much to pour
A port glass stands about 17 cm (6.6 in) tall and holds about 200 to 250 ml (7 to 8.5 oz). You never fill it.
- The glass
- 200–250 ml
- About 7–8.5 oz. My picks hold 207–250 ml.
- The pour
- 40–80 ml
- About 1.5–2.5 oz. In the hotel we poured 60 ml.
- The height
- About 17 cm
- About 6.6 in, clearly smaller than a red wine glass.
From hotel service
In the hotel restaurant we poured 60 ml of port. At home I suggest 40 to 80 ml, never more.
The glass is already small, and the wine needs room to show its nose: hazelnut, sweet notes, prunes, dried fruit, dates. With port, the nose is half the pleasure. In my favourite glass, which holds 227 ml, a 60 ml pour fills about a quarter of the bowl. That empty space above the wine is where the aroma gathers.
Ruby, tawny, vintage
One port glass for ruby, tawny and vintage port
Here is the good news. Unlike white wines, where a Chardonnay and a Riesling each have their own glass, port doesn’t need a different glass for every style. Buy one port glass and you can enjoy every style of red port: ruby, tawny and vintage.
The exception
What glass for white port?
The port glass is for the red styles. White port is a young port, and I serve it a different way: with tonic and ice in a tall highball glass. So if you only drink white port and tonic, you don’t need port glasses at all.
What to buy
The best port glasses: my three picks
Price level: $ budget · $$ everyday · $$$ mid-range · $$$$ premium. The buttons show today’s price on Amazon.
- 01
My favourite
Schott Zwiesel Bar Special Port Glass
Set of 6 · 227 ml (7.7 oz) · $$
Best for: Every day, and the best value per glass.
This is my first choice. It was designed by the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza for port itself. The four-sided stem has a small dimple for your thumb, so your hand stays off the bowl.
It is Schott Zwiesel’s Tritan crystal glass from Germany: brilliant, harder to break than most crystal, and dishwasher safe. Tritan here is the brand’s crystal glass, not the Tritan plastic used for outdoor glasses. It costs a little more than other port glasses, but for me it is the best.
- 02
For a special evening
Riedel Vinum Port Glass
Set of 2 · 250 ml (8.5 oz) · $$$
Best for: A premium feeling for a special night.
This is the type of port glass fine-dining restaurants and hotels use. It is crystal and dishwasher safe.
You get only two in the box, and each glass costs more than the Schott Zwiesel. But if you want a more premium feeling for a good night, it raises the whole experience.
- 03
The affordable choice
Glassique Cadeau Port Sippers
Set of 4 · 207 ml (7 oz) · $
Best for: A lower price, or a gift.
I have not served port in this one at work, so I won’t pretend I have. But if you want good value at a lower price, it is a popular set on Amazon. It is a small, short-stemmed tasting glass, it comes in a gift box, and it looks great.
See the set of 4 on AmazonPopular on Amazon · See ratings and reviews
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Side by side
Schott Zwiesel Bar Special
Shop- Holds
- 227 ml (7.7 oz)
- In the box
- 6
- Dishwasher
- Yes
- Price
- $$
- For
- Every day, best value
Riedel Vinum Port
Shop- Holds
- 250 ml (8.5 oz)
- In the box
- 2
- Dishwasher
- Yes
- Price
- $$$
- For
- A special evening
Glassique Cadeau port sippers
Shop- Holds
- 207 ml (7 oz)
- In the box
- 4
- Dishwasher
- Not stated
- Price
- $
- For
- A lower price, or a gift
Care
How to wash port glasses
My favourite and the Riedel are both dishwasher safe. You can use the dishwasher, or wash them with clean hot water and polish them with a cloth. More in my guide to washing wine glasses.
Serving
Serving port after dinner
In hotels and restaurants, port is the digestif, served at the end of dinner. Pour it with a chocolate dessert or a great cheese, or enjoy it on its own.
One glass, two at most, is enough for an evening. Remember you have probably had red or white wine at dinner already, and port is about 20% alcohol, so drink water alongside it.
Choosing the bottle itself? Read my guide to Taylor’s port styles on SOMM DIGI.
My picks from this guide
Ready to choose?
One click shows today’s price on Amazon.
- Check today’s price
Schott Zwiesel Bar Special Port Glass, set of 6$$
- Check today’s price
Riedel Vinum Port, set of 2$$$
- Check today’s price
Glassique Cadeau Port Sippers, set of 4$
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Port glass FAQ
What size is a port glass?
A port glass holds about 200 to 250 ml (7 to 8.5 oz) and stands about 17 cm (6.6 in) tall, clearly smaller than a red wine glass. My three picks hold 207, 227 and 250 ml. You never fill it: the pour is only 40 to 80 ml.
How much port do you pour in a glass?
In the hotel restaurant we poured 60 ml of port. At home I suggest 40 to 80 ml, never more. Port is about 20% alcohol and sweet, and the glass needs room above the wine for the nose: hazelnut, prunes, dried fruit and dates.
What does a port glass look like?
It looks like a small wine glass: a tulip-shaped bowl on a stem, narrowing gently to the rim. The narrow rim gathers the aroma, and the stem is sturdier than on most wine glasses, so it is less fragile.
Can I use a regular wine glass for port?
Any small wine glass will do. Avoid a big Bordeaux or Burgundy glass: port is fortified, with high alcohol and natural sugar, so it wants a smaller glass and a smaller pour.
Do you need a different glass for tawny, ruby and vintage port?
No. Unlike white wines, port doesn't need a glass for each style. Buy one port glass and you can enjoy every red port: ruby, tawny and vintage. White port is the exception: I serve it with tonic and ice in a tall highball glass.
Are port glasses dishwasher safe?
My favourite, the Schott Zwiesel Bar Special, and the Riedel Vinum Port are both dishwasher safe. You can also wash port glasses with clean hot water and polish them with a cloth.
What is the best port glass?
My favourite is the Schott Zwiesel Bar Special port glass, designed by the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza, sold in a set of 6 and dishwasher safe. For a special evening I like the Riedel Vinum Port, the type of glass fine-dining restaurants use.