04/08/2023
UPDATED JUNE 29, 2023

The 6 Best Plastic Wineglasses

For peak outdoor-drinking season.

By , a writer at the Strategist since 2018. 
Summer is here and with it an itinerary that probably includes poolside BBQs and park picnics. Since breaking out the good glasses for outdoor events is ill-advised, having dedicated plastic wineglasses is a smart investment. In our best stemless-wineglass round-up, Steven Grubbs, wine director at Atlanta restaurant Five & Ten, told us that when it comes to “casual, rugged, and outdoor portable drinking,” you can’t beat plastic. “I believe if you’re in a scenario where stems are too precious or dainty,” he explains, “then actual glass is probably a liability there too.” Lucy Devlin, vice-president of wines at Naked Wines, adds, “Plastic wineglasses do not have any negative impact on the taste of the wine, so people should drink out of whatever they like best.” With that in mind, I asked Grubbs and ten other wine experts about their go-to favorites for outdoor-drinking season.

What we’re looking for

Material

“The key to a quality plastic wineglass is durability,” says Arden Montgomery Gilfillan, sommelier and co-founder of Argaux. The gold standard for plastic wineglasses is Tritan, which is more durable than other materials and tends to look the most like actual glass. Other plastics, like acrylic, also work just fine but aren’t as durable.

Dishwasher-safe versus handwash only

Due to the nature of different plastics, Gilfillan recommends checking the resin identification number on the bottom of the glass, since some plastics can’t withstand hot or warm water, while others can. The general rule of thumb: Tritan can safely go in the dishwasher, while acrylic and other plastics cannot.

Best disposable plastic wine glasses

Repurpose Disposable Stemless Glasses

$40

Material: PLA | Dishwasher-safe versus handwash only: N/A

If you’re looking for single-use wineglasses for a big party, Wine Access advanced sommelier Laura Koffer recommends Repurpose stemless wine cups. “They are comfortable in your hand, hold the right amount of wine, and have a bowl-like bottom that mimics a traditional wineglass so you can swirl away,” she notes. Ross and Hambrecht call them their “absolute go-tos for outdoor entertaining this summer,” adding that they love how they look like actual glasses. And while they are disposable, the cups are compostable so you don’t have to feel as bad tossing them away at the end of the night.