Let’s just get this out there, right from the start: There's nothing wrong with a classic, stemmed wine glass. They're elegant and timeless. They're the proper option for big wines like Bordeaux or Barolos that need the room to swirl and “breathe.” But do you need an oversized, top-heavy glass when you're simply enjoying your favorite $15 bottle at home? Not really.

Instead, follow the lead of easygoing Europeans and stick with the short, stemless glasses—the kind you might find at an alfresco bistro or neighborhood cafe. They're easy to store, hard to break and can double as a snifter for brandy or bourbon.

When Sonoma County native Stacey Khoury-Diaz opened Dio, a natural wine bar in Washington, DC, she opted to serve most of her wines in Duralex tumblers, the familiar juice glasses made by the French company that invented tempered glass. She said these stout glasses are the same kind her family and many other winemakers choose to drink from.

There's just an inherent casualness to going stemless. You don't have to worry about the shape or the thickness of the glass. There's no right or wrong way to drink out of a stemless glass, which makes it a whole lot easier to just sit back and sip. And if you're now in the market for a stemless option, we've rounded up some handsome glasses for you.