The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

Are champagne flutes going out of fashion?

Cathy Gowdie

Getting serious about sparkles: Hold on to your flutes.
Getting serious about sparkles: Hold on to your flutes.Harrison Saragossi

I read that shallow, saucer-shaped champagne glasses are coming back into fashion. Is it time to put away my flutes?

If you'd told me 10 years ago that macaroni and cheese would one day be an ''it'' dish on several of Australia's hottest menus, I'd have laughed. I'd have guffawed if you'd predicted that nanna-style undergarments for squeezing in one's squishy bits would soon be so popular that they'd have their own aisle at chain stores. Futurists of the world, your jobs are safe from me.

But even I can see that the mac-and-cheese revival and the return of what our grandmas called ''foundation garments'' suggest that if something was big in 1950, then it has every chance of making its way back to the mainstream, especially if we've seen it on Mad Men. So yup, the champagne coupe, to give this glass its proper name, does seem to be trending. Judging by the volume of excited chatter on decorating and bridal blogs, it's a must for Gatsby-themed parties and weddings.

I'm not so excited, because traditional coupes do champagne no favours. Their shallowness and wide surface area mean the wine's aroma and bubbles disappear faster than the proverbial bride's nightie.

Advertisement

Well-shaped flutes and the tulip-shaped glasses preferred by some champagne aficionados help conserve the wine's bouquet (provided they're not filled to the brim) and keep the ''bead'' bubbling longer. They are also less prone to spillage than coupes, a significant advantage at stand-up social events where you're required to hold a glass, a canape and a conversation simultaneously, without sloshing wine over your companion's trouser cuffs.

If I were you, I'd hang on to my flutes. By all means bring out Great Aunt Beryl's oh-so-cute coupes from the box in the garage, but if you're serious about your sparklings, keep them for serving cocktails or chocolate mousse.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement