If you entertain frequently, a wine coaster might be on your list of helpful host/hostess items. Or maybe you already have a wine coaster but aren’t exactly sure of its purpose. In this blog, we share the history and purpose of wine bottle coasters, as well our recommendations for the best wine coasters.
Before we continue with our review, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!
What is the history of the wine coaster?
Between the 1820’s and 1840’s, Britain saw an increase in both clothing and wine consumption driven by the abolition of import and export duties. Wearing nice clothes and drinking great wine with dinner became a way for upper society to demonstrate their wealth.
People organizing formal dinner parties needed a way to slide or “coast” a bottle of wine or a wine decanter around on a very large dining table. These first wine coasters were wooden. In early nineteenth-century dining, silver was all the rage, so wine coasters became more elaborate, with artisans mixing wood and silver. These wine coasters became a platform for silver artisans to show off their ornamentation skills.
Entertaining large groups of people was fashionable, and as this dining trend passed from Britain to the United States, it became popular with Industrial Revolution plutocrats who populated the east coast. As a result, one will find antique wine coasters made in Europe, the United States and China. Because dining tables of the time were quite large, wine bottle coaster collectors will find that these coasters came in sets of two to six.
In the early nineteenth century, due to recent advances in bottling and the utilization of bottle corks, wine bought and served from bottles was becoming more common. Technological advances in filtration were still over 100 years away, so a lot of wine in these bottles needed to be decanted to separate wine from its sediment right before serving.
The decanters of this time were tall and narrow, so the footprint of the decanter was often about the same size as the wine bottle. The wine decanters were tall and narrow because they were simply secondary containers to pour wine into so that sediment could be left behind in the original wine bottle. These narrow, handmade decanters are still available today online and in antique shops.
How is a wine coaster used today?
Today most of us are not hosting large, elaborate dinners where we need to slide a bottle down a long table filled with guests. Neither are we “coasting” a bottle around a drawing-room after retiring from a formal meal and letting our corsets out a notch or two.
Wine coasters these days are primarily objects of decor, though there are some helpful aspects of having one in your home. Constructed from a number of materials, today’s silver and/or crystal wine coasters can add a touch of sparkle to a formal holiday meal or the bride and groom’s table. Also, a wine bottle coaster is used as a barrier between a sweating bottle and a piece of wood furniture or marble countertop. A wine coaster can also hold a narrow decanter upon the occasion of decanting older wines. Wine bottle coasters can also be used to show off a single wine bottle before the meal. Finally, wine coasters are sometimes passed down generation to generation and are simply a unique heirloom.
How do I use a wine bottle coaster?
A wine bottle coaster can be used in any of the following ways:
To simply display a single bottle of wine before opening it
To act as a moisture barrier between a cold wine bottle and a warm tabletop, to prevent a water ring
To “coast” a bottle of wine from one end of the table to another.
To use, simply place the bottle of wine or narrow base decanter into the wine coaster.
What materials are used to make wine coasters?
Traditionally wine coasters have been constructed of silver and wood.
As wine coasters have transitioned from a functional item used by the upper class in the early nineteenth century to more decorative and functional purposes in modern times, the construction of wine coasters has become quite diverse.
Wine coasters today can be made of wood, silver, crystal, glass, wood, stainless steel, cork, metal, stone, and more.
Where can I buy a wine coaster?
Today, one can find new or antique silver wine bottle coasters in antiques shops or online auctions, big box stores, thrift shops, or various online retailers.
Do I need a wine coaster?
No, you can get by just fine in life without a wine coaster. However, if you are a wine lover, wine coaster collector, or are desiring a way to prevent water rings on your tabletop in a more elegant manner than using a wine koozie, you may want to buy a wine coaster. Wine coasters might may also make a nice, inexpensive gift for a wine lover or someone who enjoys the accouterments of formal service and wants to convey some of those aspects to their home dining. Others might use a wine bottle coaster to add a sparkle of crystal or silver on the tabletop.
What’s the best type of wine coaster?
The best wine coaster for you really depends upon the application.
If you are simply looking for a decorative item, the best coaster for you will be based on the design aesthetic that appeals to you. Big box stores, mall stores, and many online retailers sell a wide variety of wine coasters.
If your intent in purchasing a wine coaster is to avoid unsightly water rings on the table, look for a double-walled wine coaster. Alternatively, a wine coaster made from cork or another absorptive material may meet your needs.
Our Favorite Wine Coasters
Waterford Crystal Heritage Bottle Coaster
If you’re looking for a timeless crystal coaster, Waterford is a great place to start. This coaster accommodates all 750 mL bottle sizes, including Champagne bottles. What we like about the Waterford Crystal bottle coaster is its sparkle and heft. This wine coaster can also be used to hold jewelry, a candle, or other small items, when you’re not using it for a bottle of wine. If you’re looking for a gift for “someone who has it all,” it’s hard to go wrong with a wine coaster like this.
Double Walled Bottle Coaster
This practical wine coaster will keep excess moisture from dripping onto your table or tablecloth. The style complements other stainless steel frequently found in kitchens these days. The wine coaster is easy to clean up. It’s also worth noting that American Metalcraft has been in the restaurant supply industry for over 70 years and has a good reputation for quality in the industry.
Vagabond House Handcrafted Wine Coaster with Oak Design
If you collect silver and/or pewter items and you are looking for a handcrafted lead-free pewter wine coaster, consider this one by Vagabond. Oak leaves and acorns signify longevity, patience, and endurance, making this coaster a perfect wedding gift.
Cork Wine Bottle Coaster
If your favorite type of wine is sparkling wine, you may already know that these wines are best served around 40 F to 50 F, to maintain freshness and fruitiness. When enjoying your sparkling wine, however, you may run into the issue of moisture on the outside of the bottle that quickly accumulates as the bottle warms and sweats. Simply placing the bottle on a cork glassware coaster might not be enough, as there’s often not enough absorption in this type of coaster to accommodate the volume of water that is “sweated”.
This marble and cork wine bottle coaster contains a thick layer of cork to absorb liquid. Any excess liquid is contained within the marble walls. This is a beautiful way to solve the issue of sweating wine bottles.
Since these coasters are made from natural marble and natural cork, the actual color will vary.
Stainless Steel Wine Bottle Coaster
If you are in the wine or restaurant business and need a volume of wine coasters to spread out among tables, or you simply need an inexpensive but good looking set of wine coasters for large parties at home, consider these brushed stainless wine bottle coasters that come in a set of four.
These are the bottle coasters we use for our in-person wine tasting parties. There’s a sufficient lip that contains any bottle sweat, and they are very easy to clean and stack. What’s great about these flat wine bottle coasters is that they don’t obstruct any portion of the label.
One thing we’ve noticed is that they can be scratched if you are moving them around a bit. They are not as heavyweight as I expected, however for this application (displaying a wine bottle) a super thick layer of stainless steel is not really needed.
And that’s a wrap on wine bottle coasters!
Wine bottle coasters have been around since the early nineteenth century, where they were used by the upper class to “coast” wines around a room when servants weren’t around to pass the wine for them.
Today, wine bottle coasters serve both decorative and practical purposes, such as absorbing or containing bottle “sweat” or drips. Traditionally made of wood and silver, wine bottle coasters of today are made out of a wide variety of materials. The quality of materials, place of manufacture, and level of craftsmanship involved drives the price.
Wine bottle coasters can be purchased online, as well as in antique shops, big box stores, and thrift shops. We hope you enjoyed learning about wine coasters and considering our recommendations!
Cheers!