Champagne blida and pomponne
These two containers are less well known to the general public. The blida is the typical glass used by Champagne winemakers. These glasses were originally designed for drinking tea. Manufactured in Reims, then sent to the town of Blida (in Algeria), these glasses were quickly adopted by Champagne winemakers. The reasons? Their ease of maintenance, smaller size and resistance convinced the winegrowers.
For the same reasons, the blida was subsequently adopted for celebrations such as weddings, christenings and communions. It's the practicality and conviviality of the blida that come first. These 8 blidas can be enjoyed with a 75cl bottle of champagne.
The pomponne de champagne is a champagne flute with a remarkable feature: it has no stem. Visually, when it's put down, it can remind us of a bell that's been put down. But if we go back to the object's origins, it would seem that its shape was inspired by that of the Gallic horns used as glasses.
This shape does have one major drawback, however: you have to finish drinking all your champagne before you can fit the pompom. So, in terms of practicality, we're diametrically opposed to the blida. The pomponne now represents a decorative object rather than a glass for enjoying champagne.
Champagne glass or champagne flute?
When it comes to the champagne glass, the answer is simple: it's old-fashioned and doesn't enhance the wine's aromas. Nowadays, it's associated with older generations and old family photos of our parents and grandparents toasting each other. As a result, it is increasingly being abandoned for fashion reasons, but also because it is not recommended for tasting. Its wide-open shape has one major disadvantage: bubbles and aromas escape quickly. If you want to retain all the aromas, you have to drink your champagne quickly.
It is also criticized for its lack of practicality. At a party, a glass is quickly knocked over if you're pushed too hard.
As one fashion gave way to another, the flute took over among champagne lovers. Its elongated shape better preserves the bubbles and aromas of your precious beverage. What's more, its long stem keeps the champagne away from the hand, keeping it cool. However, it is criticized for its length and narrowness. The bubble is larger when it reaches the surface. Although associated with champagne in most people's minds, the champagne flute is not the taster's favorite.
The wine glass for better champagne tasting
For some ten years now, connoisseurs have almost unanimously recommended the wine glass, particularly the tulip. Its name comes from its flower-like shape. The shape of the wine glass is similar to that of a flute, but with a widened middle section. The glass is only a quarter full, so the bubbles are perfect, and all the aromas can be captured on the nose and palate...
Champagne is first and foremost a wine. This champagne glass is particularly suited to great vintage champagnes, which need room to express themselves fully.
In recent years, innovations in terms of cuvées and drinking styles have also led to a change in the container in which certain more atypical champagnes are enjoyed. This is the case for very sweet champagnes created especially to be enjoyed with ice cubes, such as Moët Ice Impérial. In this particular case, you'll want to choose a very wide wine glass.
There are fans of every type of glass for aesthetic, sentimental or taste reasons. However, as you can see, we recommend the tulip-shaped wine glass for optimal tasting.
