The last thing you want to do is spend multiple years producing a gallon of wine (red, white, or rosé wine) only for the taste to be spoiled by the wine glass.
So is it safe to drink wine from stainless steel wine glasses? Does stainless steel change the taste of wine?
Is it ok to drink wine from stainless steel wine glasses?
There’s no harm in drinking wine from stainless steel wine glasses.
In fact, it’s absurd to think otherwise because stainless steel tanks are used in winemaking.
First, grapes are harvested (either by hand or machinery) and passed through a de-stemmer. A de-stemmer is a device that removes the grape berries from their stems.
After the stems are removed, the grapes are crushed to extract their juices. Seeds and skin are filtered from the juice when making white wine. For red wine, just the seeds are removed.
Yeast is added to the juice, which is left to ferment for years in a container.
Although some winemakers age their wines in glass, clay, cement, or oak containers, many others age their wine in stainless steel barrels.
If wine can be left untouched in a large stainless steel vessel for about 3 years, then sipping a little bit from a stainless steel wine glass shouldn’t be an issue.
So no, drinking liquor from a stainless steel flask poses no significant health risks.
Do stainless steel wine glasses affect the taste of wine?
No, drinking wine from stainless steel glasses does not affect its taste.
Stainless steel doesn’t react with acidic substances, so the chances of the metal dissolving into the wine to change its taste are minimal.
However, drinking champagne from stainless steel glasses changes the experience.
To fully enjoy your food or beverage, you should be able to see and smell it. That way, your sight and smell senses can help your taste buds determine what you’re eating.
Stainless steel glasses are opaque, meaning you can’t see the gold liquid full of bubbles, leaving your nose and taste buds to decide if you like that champagne or not.
Stainless steel as a metal has a smell. So when you raise the glass to drink, you’re going to get a whiff of both the wine itself and the metal cup it’s in. That’s why some people report a ‘metallic’ taste when drinking wine from a stainless steel wine glass.
But does the metal CHANGE the wine’s taste? No, it doesn’t.
What’s so great about stainless steel wine glasses?
There are many options to choose from when deciding what drinkware is best for drinking wine, but stainless steel tumblers best all of them for very good reasons.
High durability
Stainless steel glasses are basically unbreakable. They have a superior strength-to-weight ratio when compared to glass and plastic. Stainless steel wine glasses can withstand falls (albeit with a loud irritable noise) and do not break in a dishwasher.
Healthy to drink from
Stainless steel glasses, unlike plastic, do not leach BPA, phthalates, or other harmful compounds associated with health problems into drinks. Because stainless steel is not acid-reactive, it does not affect the taste of food or beverages. Its smooth, non-porous surface also resists bacteria accumulation, lowering microbial infection risk.
Minimalist design
Stainless steel wine glasses are ideal for the modern minimalist because of their sleek aesthetics. They are also available in a wide variety of colors and shapes for customers to choose from.
Easy to clean and maintain
Stainless steel glasses are resistant to stains and rust because of the oxide layer on their surface. And they do not need delicate handling due to their durability, making them very easy and convenient to clean.
Affordability
Stainless wine glasses are cheaper than crystal wine glasses. If you’re clumsy while sipping wine from a crystal wine glass, you may break everything. Instead of buying better-looking glassware for drinking wine, get a stainless steel wine glass. It’s affordable without compromising quality.
Eco-friendly
While plastic wine glasses and containers are cheap, they contribute to landfills and harm the environment. Because stainless steel drinkware is so durable, huge amounts of energy are saved over its lifespan, helping to reduce the world’s carbon footprint.
Great for outdoor activities
Stainless steel wine glasses come in two variants: stemmed and stemless. Stemless stainless steel glasses are great for camping, picnics, hiking, and other outdoor activities.
How to take care of stainless steel wine glasses
Stainless steel glasses are easy to clean most of the time, but these tips will help you clean them completely even when facing the toughest stains.
Use baking soda and vinegar
Mix two teaspoons baking soda and a generous amount of vinegar in the stainless steel glass. Cover the cup and shake the mixture vigorously until it foams up. Then, rinse the cup with water. Let dry before refilling.
Put them in the dishwasher
Stainless steel glasses are dishwasher-safe. Toss them into a dishwasher, pour in some dishwashing soap, and your glass should be clean within a few minutes.
Wash with soap and water
If you prefer a more hands-on approach, you can clean your stainless steel glasses in a sink with regular soap and water. Avoid using steel wool or other abrasive material to wash your drinkware. Use scrubbers and plastic scouring pads instead.
Wipe with a clean cloth
Sometimes, all you need to clean wine out of a stainless steel glass is a piece of dry cloth. Just wipe out the droplets of wine within, and it should be clean.
Does wine stain stainless steel?
No, wine doesn’t stain stainless steel.
Oxygen reacts with chromium to create an oxide layer on the surface of the steel, giving it the appearance of being “stainless.”
Reducing that chromium content will cause staining and corrosion.
High temperatures, hydrochloric acids, sulfuric acid, chlorides, and surface scratches can reduce the chromium content of stainless steel and cause corrosion.
The main acids in wine are tartaric, malic, lactic, citric, acetic, ascorbic, butyric, sorbic, and succinic acids.
Since wine doesn’t contain any acids that cause rust or corrosion on stainless steel, wine doesn’t stain stainless steel.
Summary: Will stainless steel change the taste of wine?
If you’re unsure whether or not it’s safe to drink from a stainless steel drinking cup, rest easy—you’re not going to hurt your wine by drinking from a stainless steel glass!