It’s estimated that North Americans will spend $1.21 billion on wine glassware in 2024, not exactly chump change. Over the years, I’ve sat through countless demonstrations of premium glassware designed to convince us that we need specific glasses for specific wines, and initially, I drank the Kool-Aid and built up an arsenal of expensive glassware. As a retailer, I’ve sold every major brand, and while I can’t dismiss the appeal of a good glass, I eventually broke or liberated myself from all of them over time. Zalto’s were my previous fixation, and they are beautiful to drink out of, but either myself or my guests eventually lay waste to them all, and they’re expensive. I have, I think, finally settled on Gabriel glasses, a multi-purpose lead-free crystal glass that lives up to its claim of being universal. I drink Champagne out of them (because flutes are useless other than to display the cascade of bubbles), and every other style of wine under the sun, and to date (over four years) I’ve lost two, and they spent some time aloft before their demise. They have no seams or glue involved in the manufacturing and, at $45 a stem, they may be the only glass you’ll ever need. They also produce two decanters, an essential tool in my household. The Drink Art is $85, and the fancy Alpha decanter is $350.