coupe

French · cup

The coupe is a wide, shallow glass (the "Champagne saucer"); the Union des Maisons de Champagne regards it as poor for Champagne because the bouquet escapes and the mousse does not develop.1

Compared with other shapes

UMC regards the tulip glass as the standard today: an egg-shaped bowl narrowing at the top on a long stem, in use since about 1930.1 The flute shows the wine's appearance but is fragile.1

The mousse is the foam that forms at the surface as bubbles collect.2 Its behaviour in different shapes is covered in glass shape and foam. Practical advice: glasses.

Bubbles form at nucleation sites, micro-cavities in the glass or particles such as dust or fibres; without them there is no effervescence.2

See also

GlassesServingFlute or coupe: CO2 above the glassSciencetulip glass (verre à Champagne classique)GlossaryflûteGlossarymousseGlossaryFoam and collarScience

Sources

  1. Union des Maisons de Champagne (UMC). Choosing the right wine glass
  2. Union des Maisons de Champagne (UMC). The language of the senses

Facts checked on 2026-10-19