Glassware is an essential component of any home bar, but it can sometimes be a struggle to find the space to store it properly. Rather than hiding away your finest stems in some dusty kitchen cabinet or stacking them in boxes in an inaccessible closet, give them the place of prominence they deserve. When you keep your glassware in an appropriate storage system, it’s easier to find—and harder to accidentally break. Plus, the perfect bar cabinet or cart can add a lot of appeal to your home décor.
Whether you're on a budget, or have limited space, or are willing to drop a little dough and dress up a room in the process, we've gathered our favorite glassware storage options to get right now.
Best Overall
Austin Design Calhoon Bar with Wine Storage
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Courtesy of Havenly
Easy to assemble
Storage for glassware and bar items
Fit for indoor and outdoor use
Can be used against the wall as shelves or as a bar
Bar surface may warp from moisture
This modern, industrial-style piece looks great in any room, but it’s also a versatile storage system for all of your home bar needs—including the bar itself! Of course, you can simply use the bronze and antique nutmeg bar top for additional storage. But when you’re entertaining, you might find it useful to pour wine and mix drinks, while all the supplies you need—wine and spirits bottles, mixers, tools—fit comfortably on the three spacious shelves below.
The four stemware racks can hold up to 32 wine glasses, so there’s plenty of room to store your Champagne flutes, Burgundy bowls, Bordeaux stems, and all-purpose whites. This sturdy, durable piece can be used indoors or out, making entertaining effortless all year round. While it does require some assembly, it’s a pretty easy setup.
Best Budget
Bernardo Solid Wood Wall-Mounted Wine Glass Rack
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Courtesy of Wayfair
Inexpensive yet high quality
Compact space-saving design
Sturdy and durable
Easy to access glassware
Not suitable for glasses other than stemware
Don’t let a limited budget or limited space hold you back from properly storing your glassware. This compact, wall-mounted solid wood system looks like an expensive, high-quality setup, but it won’t break the bank.
Just two discreet, minimalist shelves can hold up to 32 wine glasses, with storage space on top of each shelf for bottles or other barware. Contrasting shades of rustic, distressed pine, and dark walnut wood complement a wide range of décor styles, from shabby chic to modern farmhouse to industrial loft. This is also the storage option that provides the easiest access to your glassware—your collection is right there, within arm’s reach, whenever you need it.
Best for Travel
Williams Sonoma Quilted Stemware Storage Cases
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Courtesy of Williams Somona
Lightweight and easy to use in transit
Great for small spaces
Fits most types of glassware
Lacks handles for carrying
If you and your glasses are frequently on the go, you’ll want a storage system that can keep them safe in transit, like these zippered storage cases, which will protect your stems, tumblers, and highballs perfectly from breakage and dust.
These convenient cotton carriers have three layers of ultra-soft cushioning—ultra-soft lining, polyfill padding, and diamond quilting—plus built-in padded dividers to keep your coupes from clinking until it’s time to say “cheers.” Two versions of the case are available, optimized for both red and white glasses, to hold a dozen in each. If that’s not enough storage space, the cases are stackable, so you can tailor your system to your exact needs. Each case comes with a blank paper label that can be inserted on the outside to clearly identify the contents, making it easy to grab exactly what you need.
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Best Rolling Cart
South Shore Maliza Bar Cart
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Courtesy of Wayfair
Attractive design at an affordable price
Thoughtful use of space and features
Wheels allow it to go wherever it’s needed
Not ideal for storing glasses with wide bases
This bar cart does it all—and looks great in the process. The glam yet understated combination of faux marble with either gold metal or black wood brings serious sophistication to your home entertainment setup, without sacrificing utility.
Three shelves offer plenty of room for bar tools, mixers, cocktail glassware, and spirits, while a clever space-saving design adds dedicated space for 12 wine bottles and 18 wine glasses. The water-resistant surface won’t be damaged by splashes or spills, but if you do have an accident, there are also two convenient towel holders for quick clean-up. The best part? Easy-glide wheels (and brakes) ensure that your bar station can go wherever the party does.
Best Large Capacity
Bixby 60.5-Inch Bar Cabinet Buffet
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Courtesy of Pottery Barn
Very spacious with lots of glassware storage
Includes lock and key
Versatile aesthetic
Takes up a large amount of space
Somewhat challenging to assemble
If you’ve got room to spare and a lot of glassware and other bar necessities to store, this bar cabinet buffet just might be the ideal solution. This versatile centerpiece, designed in an understated style to suit any décor, is made from charcoal-finished American ash wood, kiln-dried to prevent warping, splitting, cracking, or mildew. Black copper finishing on the hardware adds a sophisticated touch to this stately piece.
There’s enough storage space here for anything the home bartender could dream of, including 13 dedicated stemware racks that can hold up to 39 wine glasses. The cabinets feature magnetic closures, as well as a lock and key—perfect for keeping both your collection and your children safe.
Related: The Best Bar Table Sets
Best Tabletop
Gracie Oaks Selman Tabletop Wine Bottle & Glass Rack
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courtesy of Wayfair
Inexpensive, lightweight, and compact
Great for gifting
Minimal or no assembly required
Simple and convenient
Material is not the highest quality
If you’re a barware minimalist who prefers to focus on what’s inside the glass, you may not need a very complicated storage system. But it’s nice to keep a few glasses—and bottles—within arm’s reach, so you can enjoy a delicious drink with dinner as soon as the mood strikes.
This clever, compact rack hardly takes up any space, so you can store it wherever you’ll need it most—at the dinner table, in a cabinet, on your countertop, or stowed away in your pantry closet, no assembly required—or you can easily mount it on the wall with the included hardware and level. This fun conversation piece, which can store up to nine wine glasses and four bottles of wine, also makes a great gift.
Best Design
West Elm Vivien Bar Cabinet
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West Elm
Combines classic and modern design
Ample wine glass storage
High-quality materials
More expensive
This gorgeous art-deco-inspired piece will make your home bar feel like the swankiest club in town. The curved, grooved frame, in sleek white wood, is accented by bronze-finished tapered legs that add a touch of old Hollywood glamour to the otherwise modern design. Keep it closed for a streamlined look or open to display the treasures of your bar—either way, it’s a conversation piece.
But it’s not just a pretty face—it’s also an ultra-functional piece that has plenty of room for the essentials and then some, including 18 standard wine glasses and eight bottles of wine. Two adjustable inner shelves let you customize the remaining space to suit your needs.
Best Splurge
Tracey Boyd Odetta Bar Cabinet
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Courtesy of Anthropologie
No assembly required
Interior light adds aesthetic appeal
Plenty of varied storage options
Less dedicated wine glass storage than others
Available in three stunning finishes—light grey, cream, and indigo—this breathtaking piece is more like a work of art than a storage system. Finely crafted elliptical brass and etched lucite knobs adorn the intricate grasscloth-textured veneer, elevating your entertaining space to an entirely new level. Spectacular inside as well as out, this bar cabinet features an interior mirror as well as a 16-bottle wine rack, a glass rack, two drawers, two shelves, and inner door storage, as well as an interior light to illuminate your collection. The brushed brass-finished, stainless steel legs are removable, allowing the cabinet to adapt to your space, and the entire piece is sealed with a clear lacquer to keep it in pristine condition.
Perhaps best of all, this bar cabinet comes fully assembled, so you can get the party started immediately.
Final Verdict
There are plenty of options for glassware storage, depending on your budget and space concerns. For the smallest budgets and spaces, the Bernardo Solid Wood Wall-Mounted Wine Glass Rack (view at Havenly) is ideal, as it takes up no more space than the glasses themselves! Despite its inexpensive price, it has an attractive design that does not look cheap. If you have a bit more money and room to spare, the Austin Design Calhoon Bar with Wine Storage (view at Wayfair) checks all the boxes. In addition to a sleek, modern design, it has storage space for up to 32 wine glasses (depending on the size and shape), as well as anything else you’d need to keep on hand while entertaining. It’s also an incredibly versatile multi-tasker—use it indoors or out, as a shelving system or a drink-mixing station.
FAQs
What's the average height between shelves in a glassware storage system?
This varies with the type of storage system and with each individual piece. Some come as individual shelves or hanging racks, which can be mounted at whichever customized height you choose; many shelving or cabinet systems are adjustable as well. In systems with a fixed height, you can expect at least 15 inches of space—plenty of room to store your wine glasses, which average between six and ten inches tall.
Can you place anything other than glassware in this type of storage system?
With the exception of simple hanging racks, most glassware storage systems have room for a wide variety of bar supplies, including wine and spirits bottles, bar tools, decorative items, and any other objects you may need. When choosing a glassware storage system, you’ll want to consider whether you want one that includes compartments for other items. If you already have storage for the rest of your bottles and barware, you may want to select a hanging rack, but if you need somewhere to keep those other items, you should consider a larger storage system that can comfortably store all of your bottles and supplies.
How do you properly clean and care for a glassware storage system?
Most glassware storage systems can be cared for just like the other furniture in your home. Wipe regularly with a soft, dry cloth to remove dust for regular maintenance, and clean any spills immediately with the appropriate cleaning product for the material. Always check to see if there are any specific care and cleaning instructions for your glassware storage system.
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Nikki Goddard is a wine writer with 14 years of industry experience as well as CSW and WSET Diploma certification. She is passionate about taking the intimidation out of wine education and has taught classes for WSET levels 2 and 3. In 2019, Nikki was named a top young wine writer by Vinous Media.
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