The Perfect Glass
“What is Riedel stemware and why is it so special?” asked my editor, Rich Hanner.
Let’s start with a little experiment: open a bottle of wine and pour a few ounces each into a Styrofoam cup, a coffee mug, and a thin-rimmed wine glass. Odds are that the wine will “taste” very different in each.
Researchers at the Riedel Glass Company observed that, “The shape of the glass forces the head to position itself in such a way that you drink and do not spill. Wide, open glass shapes require us to sip by lowering the head, whereas a narrow rim forces the head to tilt backwards so that the liquid flows because of its gravity. This delivers and positions the beverage to different ‘taste zones’ of the palate.”
For example, with a fruity, but acidic wine, the perfectly-shaped glass delivers the wine to the front of the tongue where sweetness is tasted, and away from the back sides of the tongue, which detect acid.
Beware, once you’re hooked on the concept, things can get expensive: the top-end glass goes for $119 each. I’d recommend you start with a pair of their Vinum series “416/15” 13-oz glasses ($18 each), best matched for Lodi’s Zins.
Oops, I guess my wonderfully cheap Ikea glasses are sub-par. Maybe my 07 Zinfest glass? Or my 08 Avenue of the Vines glass? After all, they’re from Lodi…
Ultimately, just use what makes you happy. My guess is that wine will “taste” better in the glasses used on your wedding day, for example.
If you’ve never tried the perfect glass, it’s worth it. Just remember that they are usually pretty delicate. I’ve twisted the stem off of a few when drying them from the dishwasher where we perch them on special racks. I hate hand-washing anything!
For ourselves. our “daily wine” glass is an old Lucas Spiegelau glass that we’ve used so often you can barely see the signature Lucas flower etched in the side.
Thanks for the comments, Layla!
Jon