Color

• Wine glasses are available in colored and tinted shades. There are also decorative glasses with colorful designs or frosted white or gold etching. However, to build a wine glass collection that reflects standards used by wine connoisseurs and sommeliers, you should opt for glasses that are clear, transparent and free of any decoration so that the visual qualities of the wine are not obscured.
  
  

Shape

• In general, a basic but proper wine glass will have a tulip shape. The glass will taper inward to form a curved bottom that meets in the center and attaches to the stem of the glass. The stem is an important feature for a wine glass. It allows you to hold the glass without warming the content by transferring heat to the glass from your hands and fingers. Heat is fine if you are drinking brandy, but not so for wine. Heat can adversely alter the taste.
  
  

Glasses for Different Wine Varieties

• A proper glass for a red Merlot is different from the glass for a white Chardonnay or a glass for serving champagne. Most red wines are best served in glasses that have a wide bottom and a rim that flares outside of the glass. The wide shape keeps the "bouquet" of the wine contained inside of the glass, and the flare of the rim guides the wine onto your tongue so you can better appreciate its flavor. Glasses with a wide bottom, but a rim that tapers inside of the glass are best for crisp white wines, such as Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Thin and narrow "flute" glasses are preferred for serving sparkling wines and champagnes. Flutes allow bubbles, gases and acidic qualities to escape, so the sweet taste of the wine is uninhibited.
  
  

Types of Materials

• Wine glasses can be made in many materials, including brass, silver and pottery. However, traditional and "proper" wine glasses used and preferred by wine connoisseurs are only made of two types of materials: glass or crystal. Wine sommeliers go a step further and limit their choice to crystal wine glasses, and disregard health concerns about lead content. It is the lead component that gives glass its clear appearance and makes it sparkle. Those are qualities that sommeliers and connoisseurs prefer.
  
  

Price

• You can certainly purchase "everyday" wine glasses at affordable prices, ranging from $1 each at discount stores to less than $20 for a set of six at most major department stores. However, if you're in the market for high-end glasses, a single sommelier-quality crystal glass can cost up to $75 or more from the finest wine glass manufacturers in the world.