What Is the Origin of Wine Glasses?

Wine glasses have evolved over the centuries

Wine glasses have taken on many different shapes and forms throughout history from their humble beginnings during the Bronze Age.

Earliest Vessels

In the Bronze Age, the earliest wine-drinking vessels were made from copper and were shaped like small tankards that were picked up with both hands and sipped. In the 5th century A.D., wine was drunk from horns. The contents had to be finished in one drink because the horn could not be laid down on a table or flat surface without spilling.

Vessels with Handles

The church banned the use of horns for drinking wine at communion ceremonies around 800 A.D. Instead, wooden tankards were used in a similar way to their copper predecessors. By the middle of the 14th century, drinking vessels made of leather were used. A separate handle was attached to make the leather vessel easier to hold.

Modern Wine Glasses

Over time, numerous cups of various shapes were invented, all with handles, until the 17th century, when glasses with stems began to appear. One of the earliest was the silver gourd cup, the stem of which was supposed to replicate a tree trunk. Today, wine glasses generally have a stem and a bulb; however there are slightly different shapes for different wines.

References

• Chiff: A Brief History of the Wine Glass
• The Ultimate Book of Cocktails, Stuart Walton, Hermes House, 2003