Do speciality wine glasses (such as Riedel)make a difference?
Does laying out the money (and bar space) for specialty wine glasses make a difference to the average wine drinker? I'm a wine novice but I'm enrolling myself in "self-taught wine appreciation 101." Will my not-too-sophisticated palate detect any subtle difference between a nice Cabernet Sauvignon sipped from a regular wine glasses and one from a Riedel Vinum Bordeaux glass?
I love any excuse to go shopping for stemware but the next earthquake to roll through L.A. is going to produce one heck of a glistening, crunchy mess around my bar!
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6 Comments:
I don't wish to be a snob, but if your budget allows for it, buy them. I enjoy wine, and drink it several times a week, though I'm not an expert by any means. (Unless it's a special occasion, I keep the cost around $10 a bottle.)
The special shapes do concentrate the aromas better, and perhaps it's my imagination but I think with use my thicker, ordinary glass stems have acquired a musty odor that affects the flavor of the wine.
That being said, you don't need to get the fanciest stuff out there. I found Spieglau glasses (now also owned by Riedel) on Amazon to be a great value (I got the Authentis line in both white and red). Schott also makes really nice glasses, though I don't know how much they run.
Un-Swiss Miss at 4:52PM on 02/07/07
awhile back, i actually attended a riedel wine tasting. i started off as a skeptic, but soon found that the glasses did make a huge difference. basically you can buy a $6 bottle of wine but when poured into a riedel glass, it tastes more like a $20+ bottle. they even have a water glass that made the water taste even better! i know they sell lower price point glasses at target too...i believe they had the fun, stemless verisions.
cindyboree at 6:10PM on 02/07/07
personally, i don't think there's much of a difference in normal glasses... i have some LARGE wine glasses that when you bring the glass to your mouth, your entire nose is in the glass... that makes a HUGE difference and I only use those for quality wines.
NickDavid at 11:52PM on 02/07/07
Good glasses don't have to cost much. After breaking too many Riedels, I picked up some Spiegelau Authentis Bordeaux glasses (link below) for $35 for six on sale (and free shipping). They have a nicely tapered bowl though they are made with slightly heftier crystal than good Riedels. They work wonderfully for all wines. I even prefer dessert wines in them--swirl and warm to release the esters.
Spiegelau is now owned by Riedel so hopefully their quality will continue. Many restaurants prefer Spiegelau machine-made glasses for their durability.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005Y1E5/
Serious Eater at 11:52AM on 02/08/07
I'm with Serious Eater that it has less to do with the price and quality of the glass and price. While there might be some issues, it has much more to do with the shape of the glass. The bell shape of the glass allow the aromatics to develop as well as the amount of wine to oxides. It does make a difference. If you want to do a blind test, offer people the same wine in two glasses-- one fluted like a champaign glass and the other a big bell shaped one. Tell them they are different wines. And ask them to describe the difference. I'd recommend using a nice big red for this experiment because it will be most pronounced then. I'm not even a big wine drinker and I definitely have a couple set of wine glasses for this reason alone.
Husband at 4:26PM on 02/08/07
It does. I work for a crystal company (nameless for integrity) and we have a line of wine tasting glasses. We do tastings where you pour a wine in one glass, swirl, sniff and taste. Then you pour the same wine in a different type of glass and the characteristics do in fact change. Despite this fact, I use the same good quality large bowl glass (actually a competing brand) for both white and red's for everyday use. Only when company comes, I match the whites and reds with different appropiate glasses.
jonfoxx at 11:17AM on 02/10/07