Somehow we have escaped to our mid- ... ok, late-30's without owning a set of champagne glasses. For some reason this summer no less than three occasions have appeared that called for such stemware, and each time we passed off the festive bubbly in something very unbecoming of such a noble drink.
We had been pondering a set of eight to have on hand and just kept resisting the purchase. In this month's Metropolitan Home magazine, they listed a mini Hi-Low blurb about the champagne saucer. We had completely forgotten the saucer as an option! Instant chic - Audrey Hepburn and 50's cream tuxedo thoughts crossed our minds and suddenly all resisitance to the purchase has been replaced with glee. So, readers ... which way do you prefer your bubbly? Flute or saucer?
We're opting for the low version via Crate and Barrel's Posh cocktail saucer pictured here ($8.95).
The flute is much easier to manage w/o spills and your hand warming the wine.
view Mason's profile
According to the fine living network, flutes allow the champagne/sparkling wine to have more effervescence. If you experiment with pouring into a flute, and then into a wider rimmed glass or stemware, you'll see they're right.
view foodiegirl's profile
The saucer is tippier but it has so much more versatility for serving other things... a little parfait, sorbet, jelly beans.
view mgn's profile
Flute, always a flute, unless you're drinking it from the bottle which is probably not a good idea unless you're in a dorm room and are 22. In any case, the shape of the flute helps to retain the all important bubbles that you're paying so much for. No bubbles in champagne = no fun. Cheers!
view ecoru's profile
definetely flute - I like this kind better http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=140&f=1252,
I find the other classical shape flute a bit too narrow on top...
view Anusha73's profile
Flute! Toujours, the flute! Saucers let the bubbly out of the bubbly.
view kitties!'s profile
I vote for flutes because they keep the bubbly bubblier AND they are easier to store in small cabinets due to their narrow shape!
view Monica's profile
i'd say flute but i inherited a bunch of etched saucer shaped glasses with gold rims that are stunning with pink champagne in the afternoon...and crazy fun early evening for a quick toast on the way out the door, bottom's up and see you there!
view abby's profile
No such thing as a "saucer" for champagne in France- it's a "coupe".
view chartreuse's profile
I would say the coupe, only because I attach a certain glamour to that style. I forget which movie/s but I can almost imagine Audrey Hepburn's (or maybe Grace Kelly's) gloved fingers gracefully supporting the bowl.
view RJD's profile
Another vote for the flute. They have all the glam of sauciers but with the added benefit of allowing the drinker to watch the tiny bubbles rise. Of course, this doesn't matter if you're drinking cheap, artificially carbonated sparkling wines, which have huge (and short-lived) coca-cola sized bubbles.
view divisadero's profile
Richele, this topic is stale. Been discussed on AT about two-three times already.
view paul's profile
I don't have a prefernce as long as the bubbly is flowing. There is a certain romance to the coupe, and let's face it. If you are leaving it in the glass long enough to lose it's bubbles you aren't drinking it fast enough.
view Bacchus's profile
Thank you for "coupe". "Saucer" was making my skin crawl.
Coupes are actually the more formal way to serve Champagne. Typically, they are very shallow, so you don't run the risk of losing your effervesence. Flutes can alter the taste of the beverage by forcing too much effervesence into too small of an area and overwhelming your mouth.
Plus, if you're loosing your bubbles too quickly in any type of glass, it means you're drinking cheap bubbly. The good stuff has such tiny bubbles it takes a while for a glass to go flat.
view Nicole R's profile