The govino reusable, plastic, stemless wine glasses solve a number of problems for wine lovers on the go. While we love our luxury stemmed wine glasses like Gabriel Glas and Zalto, these wine glasses can’t go everywhere. We love having a few govino wine glasses on hand for activities like boating and hiking where stemware is a hassle or verboten.
What to Consider Before Buying govino Wine Glasses
The govino wine glass is best for those wanting to drink wine (or other beverages) in typically outdoor environments where glass stemware is not suitable or allowed.
The ideal customer for govino reusable, plastic, stemless wine glasses is someone who enjoys boating, swimming, concerts, picnics in the park, or hiking. They are also great for those who are living an RV lifestyle or want to drink wine on the go.
Other ideal customers for govino glasses are corporations or event planners who want a good quality stemless wine glass with a company logo or special date (wedding, birthday, retirement, holidays) stamped onto the glass.
Finally, the ideal customer for govino glasses is someone who most frequently enjoys inexpensive or value wines and wants to buy Made in USA products.
Before buying govino wine glasses, buyers should consider the following:
Where will I use the govino wine glass? Will I sustainably reuse the glass, or will I discard it after one use?
Am I looking to put my logo or event name on a reusable wine glass?
Am I looking for a BPA-Free, Made in USA, plastic product or do I want to take chances with plastic wine glasses of unknown origin and composition?
Is my family or customer going to be happy using a stemless wine glass with a thumb indentation, even with it’s award winning design, or does my family or customer demand luxury glassware?
What Is The govino Wine Glass?
The govino wine glass became available for sale in 2008. It’s a re-usable, flexible, shatterproof, and recyclable stemless wine glass.
This convenient glass was invented in response to the wine industry’s need for low cost yet highly aesthetic wine glasses for wine tastings, wine fairs and corporate events. Many plastic, disposable wine glasses before and since govino have thick rims or unsightly seams. Goino made a big splash in the wine industry and has won a number of design awards for its innovative design.
Who is govino for?
Govino is a great unbreakable wine glass for wine fairs, corporate events, and for wine drinkers who want a wine glass that mimics many of the features of traditional wine glasses without sacrificing much in taste.
Who is govino NOT for?
Govino is not for those who want to keep their wines cool while drinking a glass over an extended period. Govino is also not ideal for drinking fine wines on warm days, unless of course it is the only drinking receptacle around.
Pros of govino Glasses:
Unbreakable
Reusable
Recyclable
Dishwasher-Safe
Made in USA
Cons of govino Glasses:
Made of plastic, some wine drinkers don’t want to buy use single or even multiple use plastic cups.
Govino won’t keep your wine cool like insulated wine tumblers such as the YETI.
The govino is a stemless wine glass. If there are off-putting flavors on your hands, these aromas may interfere with the enjoyment of the wine in the glass due to the proximity of your hands to your face.
Features and Benefits of govino Stemless Reusable Wine Glasses
We have had some 16 ounce govino glasses we picked up in the Bahamas a few years ago. However, they were pretty scratched up from traveling in our checked bags and from using on our boat. The folks at govino provided us with some 12 ounce and 16 ounce glasses that looked much better than our well-loved glasses.
Govino Wine Glasses Are Made in the USA
We were pleasantly surprised to find out that these reusable wine glasses are made here in the USA.
Govino Packaging
The govino comes in a few different types of packages. The 12 ounce wine glasses come in a nice cardboard holder that keeps the tumblers from touching and scratching each other. The packaging also allows one to clearly see the tumblers inside and at the same time not get filled with dust if they happen to sit on a retail shelf for a few weeks or months.
The 16 ounce tumblers also came in a cardboard box. Upon opening, we could see that each stemless wine glass was individually wrapped in material similar to parchment paper.
After opening each box we gave the 12 ounce and 16 ounce govino wine glasses a quick sniff test. We were pleasantly surprised that they were free of odor, no plastic or even “cardboard” odor that sometimes comes with traditional glassware. We’re still wondering how govino manages to make these glasses odor free!
Before giving them a quick rinse, I held up each to a white light and was pleased to find no dust and no scratches. The seam line on the govino glass is very small and does not detract visually from the glass. We felt around for rough patches on the rim of the glasses and found none.
Govino is a Flexible and Shatterproof Wine Glass
Regardless of its size, all the govino products are shatterproof (unless you do something crazy like drive over one in your car or place it in a liquid nitrogen tank!).
Squeezing the glass a little bit, we found that the glass had a pleasant amount of give but did not feel flimsy like some silicon wine glasses we have tried in the past.
For folks who get nervous at big events they might like the semi-flexible feeling of the glass. One can squeeze the glass to calm the nerves!
What is the govino Glass Made Of?
Govino glasses are made of Tritan. Tritan is an ultra-thin and flexible BPA-free polymer.
The govino Award Winning Design
Yes, we were initially a little skeptical of the govino glass design. In the past, we’ve not been fans of stemless wine glasses for several reasons:
One’s hand can quickly transfer heat to the liquid in the glass, causing the wine to warm up and taste flabby or more alcoholic.
Holding a wine glass bowl brings the hand close to the nose - if there is any food or fragrance on your hand, you are more likely to smell it while drinking than if you were holding a stem.
Most stemless wine glasses can be difficult to swirl.
Upon experiencing the govino design firsthand, however, we were happy to see that the thumb indention could help resolve some concerns on the warming of wine in the glass. This indention forces you to hold the glass on the side - minimizing warm hand contact with the wine, especially if you filled the glass to just below the thumbprint. This thumb notch also helps with swirling. How clever!
The govino wine glass has won several awards, including winner of the International Design Excellence Award, the GOOD DESIGN award, and the Pantone Award.
Govino is Dishwasher-Safe
Yes, these award winning glasses can be washed on the top drawer of your dishwasher. Of course, you can also wash govino glasses by hand.
The glasses can become a little discolored by lip-gloss or sunscreen. If that’s the case, we recommend using a non-scratch scrubber pad built for removing greasy films from glassware.
The govino Product Lineup
GoVino has a number of products to fit your wine or beverage needs.
The 16 Ounce govino Glass for Wine
This 16 ounce size would work well for people with various hand sizes. We felt like the 12 ounce wine glasses might feel a little small for people with larger hands. This larger 16-ounce size also gives a little more surface area for swirling. This glass would also be suitable for wine cocktails like sangria.
For those needing a large quantity of govino glasses for a wedding or corporate event, the 16-ounce glasses are available in sets of 72!
The 12 Ounce govino Glass for Cocktails or Wine
These smaller glasses (3 inches x 3 inches x 4 inches) are good for cocktails or smaller servings. In comparison to the 16-ounce glasses, we found that the felt a little small. However, those with smaller hands might prefer the 12-ounce glass to the 16-ounce glass.
The smaller size is nice however for travel, taking up less space in luggage. This smaller size is more likely to fit in boat or RV cupholders - the 16-ounce glasses might be a little too wide for some cupholders.
The govino 8-ounce Champagne Flute
If you want to serve Champagne or other sparkling wine in a venue that does not allow glassware, we recommend these flute glasses. These flutes are a lot more aesthetically pleasing and robust than many other unbreakable wine flutes.
These sparkling wine flutes would also be great for serving sparkling water.
The only downside of these flutes is for people who like to “nurse” a sparkling wine for more than 15 minutes. In that case, the sparkling wine might warm up in your hand, making the drink taste a little flabby as it approaches room temperature.
The govino 16-ounce Glass for Beer
These shatterproof, reusable, and recyclable beer glasses would be good for boating and poolside, and other places where glassware is not allowed.
How Does One Reuse govino Wine Glasses?
Perhaps you’ve been the recipient of a govino wine glass at a wedding or wine tasting. Here are some ideas for reusing govino wine glasses if you normally don’t drink at home or if you already have more than enough glassware! These attractive glasses can be used in any of the following ways:
Pencil holder
Plant terrarium
Fresh herb storage for the fridge
Piggy bank
Dry goods scoop
Vase
Rain Gauge
What Do Others Think of govino Wine Glasses?
The govino wine glass has won several design awards including the International Design Excellence Award.
We did some extensive online research to find what people say about these glasses. Overwhelmingly, we found positive reviews on govino’s surprising thin, crystal-like lip and the positioning of the ergonomic thumb-notch. Many reviewers also observed that there was no icky plastic odor when opening the box.
There were a few negative reviews, focused on the melting of some glasses in the dishwasher. If you do have your dishwasher heat setting to high and have had other plastic items “melt” in your dishwasher, then that might be a concern. However, we’ve washed these in the dishwasher before and had no issues.
Many sommeliers and wineries have also given the govino glass positive reviews. They recognize that is is challenging to get a thin lip on plasticware. Often they are looking for glassware for special events where traditional glassware is not allowed and find that the govino glass is the next-best option to traditional glassware.
What Are Some Alternatives to govino Wine Glasses?
Traditional Wine Glasses
We don’t recommend replacing your traditional wine glasses with govino. We do highly recommend GoVino glasses, though, for use in places where glass can’t be taken, like the pool, beach, or on a boat.
Stemless Wine Glasses
Govino glasses might be a much less expensive option than wine tumblers like the YETI tumbler for events like bachelorette parties or some corporate events. Like the YETI, one can get customized glasses through Govino directly.
Plastic Reuasble Wine Glasses
If you are looking for plastic, reusable wine glasses with stems, check out our previous article on best unbreakable wine glasses.
Our Conclusion on govino Reusable Wine Glasses
While we weren’t originally big fans of stemless wineglasses, we do keep govino wine glasses on hand for boating and for use at our community pool and neighborhood park where breakable glass is not allowed.
When researching the product, I was reminded that the thumb notch does keep one’s hand away from wine lower in the glass, reducing the likelihood of warming the liquid while drinking.
We were happy to find that the glasses are made in the USA and are slightly flexible in the hand.
After researching this article, we might also pick up some govino beer glasses to take to the pool!
We hope you’ll enjoy your on-the-go govino wine glasses as much as we do!
Cheers!