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Port wine glasses: how to choose, and the ones I'd buy
A Port glass should be small, but not a thimble. What shape works, the official glass of the Port institute, my picks on Amazon, and how to serve each style of Port.
Updated October 2026
Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier
3 min read
The short answer: choose a small glass with a bowl that narrows toward the rim, a little like a small white-wine glass. It suits the small pours Port is served in and keeps its rich aromas together. Skip the tiny, thick glasses filled to the brim: with no room to swirl, you smell the alcohol before the fruit.
Why Port needs its own glass
Port is a fortified wine from the Douro Valley in northern Portugal. Grape spirit is added while the wine is still fermenting, which stops the fermentation and keeps the grape's natural sweetness. The result is rich, sweet and strong, usually around 19 to 22% alcohol. In a big glass that alcohol rushes up at you; in a smaller glass with a narrower rim, the fruit, spice and nuts come first.
What makes a good Port glass
- A small bowl that holds a small pour without looking lost in it.
- A rim narrower than the bowl, to gather the aromas.
- Room to swirl. Only a third full, the wine should still have space to move.
- A stem, so your hand stays off the bowl.
- A thin rim if you can afford it: you notice the wine, not the glass.
My picks
The official one
The Port glass by Álvaro Siza Vieira
Designed by the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira and adopted by the Port and Douro Wines Institute (IVDP) as its official Port glass. Made by Schott Zwiesel, with a four-sided stem and a dimple for your thumb. The glass Port's own institute uses.
Best for most homes
Riedel Vinum Port
Riedel's machine-made Port glass, based on its handmade Sommeliers shape. Tough enough for regular use and widely available.
For vintage Port lovers
Riedel Sommeliers Vintage Port
The handmade version, from Riedel's top Sommeliers range. Fine and light: a glass for the bottles you have waited years to open.
The lightest
Zalto Sweet Wine
Zalto's feather-light dessert-wine glass. It serves Port, Sauternes and every other sweet wine beautifully. Hand-wash it.
If you have one glass
Your universal glass
No Port glass? A good universal glass with a small pour works well. Better a good big glass than a bad small one.
How to serve each style
| Style | What it is | Serve at | With |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosé | Young, fresh, pink | About 6 °C, cold | On ice, or as an aperitif |
| White | From white grapes, dry to sweet | 10–12 °C | Salted almonds, olives; with tonic in summer |
| Tawny | Aged in wood: nutty, caramel | 14–16 °C, lightly chilled | Nut tarts, crème brûlée, aged cheese |
| Ruby and LBV | Young, deep, berry fruit | 16–18 °C | Dark chocolate, blue cheese |
| Vintage | From one great year, aged in bottle | 16–18 °C, decanted | Stilton, walnuts, or nothing at all |
- Rosé
- What it isYoung, fresh, pink
- Serve atAbout 6 °C, cold
- WithOn ice, or as an aperitif
- White
- What it isFrom white grapes, dry to sweet
- Serve at10–12 °C
- WithSalted almonds, olives; with tonic in summer
- Tawny
- What it isAged in wood: nutty, caramel
- Serve at14–16 °C, lightly chilled
- WithNut tarts, crème brûlée, aged cheese
- Ruby and LBV
- What it isYoung, deep, berry fruit
- Serve at16–18 °C
- WithDark chocolate, blue cheese
- Vintage
- What it isFrom one great year, aged in bottle
- Serve at16–18 °C, decanted
- WithStilton, walnuts, or nothing at all
The temperatures are the ones the Port house Cálem recommends. Vintage Port throws a heavy sediment, so stand the bottle up for a day, then decant it. Old Port corks can crumble: an Ah-So opener helps.
How much to pour
Pour small. The US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism counts 3 to 4 fl oz (about 90 to 120 ml) of fortified wine such as Port as one standard drink (NIAAA), against 5 fl oz for table wine. A glass only a third full also leaves room for the aromas.
Love sweet wines? See the Sauternes glass and ice wine glasses.
Questions people ask
What glass do you drink Port from?
A small glass with a bowl that narrows toward the rim, such as the official Port glass by Álvaro Siza Vieira or Riedel's Port glass. A universal wine glass with a small pour also works.
Can you use a sherry or dessert wine glass for Port?
Yes. A small tulip-shaped dessert or sherry glass works well for Port.
Should Port be chilled?
White, rosé and tawny Port, yes, lightly. Ruby and vintage Port are best a little below room temperature, around 16 to 18 °C.
Why are Port glasses so small?
Port is sweet and strong, so it is poured in small measures. A smaller glass suits the pour and keeps the aromas together.
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