The Origin of Wine Coasters…

Karen, my husband and I received a beautiful silver wine coaster as a wedding gift.  Can you tell us something about the history of such coasters?

Wine coasters, originally known as "slides", first came into common use in the eighteenth century, and were most notably used for Port and Bordeaux wines.  The original slides were used to "coast" the wine bottle from one man to another, without scratching the dining room table.  (This was at a time when the most serious wines--and serious drinking--happened after the women had retired to another room for tea).  The most impressive slides/coasters were fitted with a silver gallery about two inches high which theoretically held the bottle upright while it coasted from person to person.  When leaving the tablecloth on the table after the meal became commonplace (as it is today), the coaster evolved from a serving device to something that would protect the linen from wine spills.

— Karen

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