Question withdrawn.

Why? It's a reasonable query. Anyway, I was going to advise choosing wine-tasting glasses based on shape and size, vs. manufacturer, as there are optimal shapes for tasting reds, whites, sparkling, and over-proof wines.

Salut!

Add in another factor, the people coming over for the tasting if it's a group. We don't give her sister anything that resembles a good piece of glassware, she has a very bad habbit of breaking them.

If you have the time, and burn through glasses, check Tuesday Morning, Marshalls, and Sam's/Costco.

also look for titanium chrystal. lead crystal is very soft, titanium crystal is very tough.

There is not much special about riedel or shot wisel, or lead crystal. lot of excellent glasses with other names. some big deal names. we bought some discontinued rosenthal at tues am that look to me to be reidel with a rosenthal etching on the foot.

get big for tasting. people really like real big. our largest seems to be 75 cl. we do not use them often, as they do not fit in the dishwasher.

shape is important to impress people. sparkling, red and white wines have sort of standard shapes, as do mosel and chianti and brunello, etc.

Why? It's a reasonable query. Anyway, I was going to advise choosing wine-tasting glasses based on shape and size, vs. manufacturer, as there are optimal shapes for tasting reds, whites, sparkling, and over-proof wines.

Salut!

I withdrew my question because nobody was replying, so I went ahead and purchased a stem (I was in a bit of a hurry). Now that I've started receiving replies, I regret deleting my post. :(

I wound up picking the Full Bodied Red Wine glass of the Schott Zwiesel Top Ten line. It seems to be analogous to the Vinum Extreme line by Riedel. I picked it because the lead crystal content in the Riedel Vinum/Vinum Extreme was cause for concern, and the S-Zs are said to be far more durable without sacrificing in performance (I can't imagine packing a Riedel into a suitcase or box without some serious insulation).

To elaborate on my usage for the benefit of future thread readers, this stem will not be used for serving guests. Instead, I will be using this one privately to make observations on bottles I buy for private consumption.

I probably should have purchased at the very least three glasses (one for Bordeaux, one for Burgundy, and one for Whites) but I am constantly on the move, so I didn't want to have to deal with the hassle of taking care of three glasses. Hence the compromising all-purpose Full Bodied Red Wine glass. Not sure if this was a good decision?

../There is not much special about riedel ...shape is important to impress people. sparkling, red and white wines have sort of standard shapes, as do mosel and chianti and brunello, etc.Absolutely disagree about Riedel and shape. Your points are valid for pre-science era, but now that wine has been subjected to some scientific analysis (courtesy of universities like UC Davis that has an oeneology program), the rather absurd claims by Riedel that the shape of the glass makes specific grape varietals taste better has been proven to be true. Unfortunately for Riedel they don't own this technology (for example Spiegelau has precisely duplicated the key shape elements -- but many other glass makers have not).

Nobody wants a story about wine tasting on FT, so I'll keep it short. Flavour in wine (and food) comes from taste and smell. Taste buds are limited to 4 flavours (bitter, sweet, salty and sour); everything else is smell. More interestingly different parts of the tongue are specialized in the 4 taste receptors. Riedel discovered that the shape of the glass changes where the wine hits on the tongue when drinking. So the same wine can taste sweeter in a different shape of glass -- because it hits the sweet part of the tongue more than the bitter part of the tongue. He didn't know any of this explanation at the time, only that the wine tasted better. Through trial and error (coloured by tradition) the "optimal" shape for different varietals was determined. There is an astonishing difference in drinking the same wine from 3 different shapes of Riedel glasses.

The pro taster glass (made by Riedel) is actually designed to expose the flaws in the wine (i.e. to make it taste worse!). While the burgundy, etc. glasses are trying to make it taste better. I use the pro taster glass for evaluating wines (and it does a great job of that!) but not for serving it for enjoyment. The Spiegelau glasses are much cheaper and just as good, from a technology perspective, but my "good" glasses are strictly Riedel. The other brands of glasses don't come close. If you can only buy one, get the Riedel Sommelier Burgundy Grand Cru glass (it holds 37 oz!). It works well for many different wines, and is stunning for Pinot Noir.

p.s. the Riedel brandy taster is astonishing, makes cognac twice as good (surprising result, and a bigger differential than with most wines).

Absolutely disagree about Riedel and shape. Your points are valid for pre-science era, but now that wine has been subjected to some scientific analysis (courtesy of universities like UC Davis that has an oeneology program), the rather absurd claims by Riedel that the shape of the glass makes specific grape varietals taste better has been proven to be true. Unfortunately for Riedel they don't own this technology (for example Spiegelau has precisely duplicated the key shape elements -- but many other glass makers have not).

Nobody wants a story about wine tasting on FT, so I'll keep it short. Flavour in wine (and food) comes from taste and smell. Taste buds are limited to 4 flavours (bitter, sweet, salty and sour); everything else is smell. More interestingly different parts of the tongue are specialized in the 4 taste receptors. Riedel discovered that the shape of the glass changes where the wine hits on the tongue when drinking. So the same wine can taste sweeter in a different shape of glass -- because it hits the sweet part of the tongue more than the bitter part of the tongue. He didn't know any of this explanation at the time, only that the wine tasted better. Through trial and error (coloured by tradition) the "optimal" shape for different varietals was determined. There is an astonishing difference in drinking the same wine from 3 different shapes of Riedel glasses.

The pro taster glass (made by Riedel) is actually designed to expose the flaws in the wine (i.e. to make it taste worse!). While the burgundy, etc. glasses are trying to make it taste better. I use the pro taster glass for evaluating wines (and it does a great job of that!) but not for serving it for enjoyment. The Spiegelau glasses are much cheaper and just as good, from a technology perspective, but my "good" glasses are strictly Riedel. The other brands of glasses don't come close. If you can only buy one, get the Riedel Sommelier Burgundy Grand Cru glass (it holds 37 oz!). It works well for many different wines, and is stunning for Pinot Noir.

p.s. the Riedel brandy taster is astonishing, makes cognac twice as good (surprising result, and a bigger differential than with most wines).

Thank you for the explanation!

The reason I didn't purchase the Sommelier glass is because it is extremely fragile.

Do you think I should cancel my order for the Schott Zwiesel Top Ten Full Bodied Red Wine glass and order something else instead as an all-purpose glass?

Thank you for the explanation!

The reason I didn't purchase the Sommelier glass is because it is extremely fragile.

Do you think I should cancel my order for the Schott Zwiesel Top Ten Full Bodied Red Wine glass and order something else instead as an all-purpose glass?I travel with it (using the container that it shipped in, a bit like the shipping tubes used by expensive liquor bottles, and that seems to be bullet proof). It is an expensive glass (USD 50+, I think list price is USD 90), heavy and large (foot tall). But I have a dozen different high-end wine tasting oriented glasses and this is the best by far. Works quite well for white burgundy too (though there is a different glass for that). Personally I am sold on this being the best glass for this purpose, and nothing else comes close. It opens up wines quickly and really shows the good and bad aspects. I've used the same glass daily for many years, with no problems (and it has taken a few falls). It is of course hand wash only. Once I even poured an entire bottle of wine into the glass (a real abuse), and it was fine. Riedel makes great glass (no stresses or hidden fractures). Expensive but worth it.

For parties I use the Spiegelau (much cheaper and mostly just as good); only special guests get Riedel.

Absolutely disagree about Riedel and shape. Your points are valid for pre-science era, but now that wine has been subjected to some scientific analysis (courtesy of universities like UC Davis that has an oeneology program), the rather absurd claims by Riedel that the shape of the glass makes specific grape varietals taste better has been proven to be true. Unfortunately for Riedel they don't own this technology (for example Spiegelau has precisely duplicated the key shape elements -- but many other glass makers have not).You are amazing!
I have some questions if you were to buy one glass would it be the Sommelier Burgandy Grand Cru?
Where the HECK did you find it for $50?
What is the brandy glass you speak of - is it the inexpensive Vinum Brandy Glass or the more expensive VSOP/XO glasses?
Here is a site I found: http://www.thewinemerchantinc.com/Riedel/price2.html
But this one had pictures and listings of every glass: http://www.winemerchantraleigh.com/riedel
Best glass for scotch - if there is one?
What is the difference between the bordeaux and burgandy glasses?

I travel with it (using the container that it shipped in, a bit like the shipping tubes used by expensive liquor bottles, and that seems to be bullet proof). It is an expensive glass (USD 50+, I think list price is USD 90), heavy and large (foot tall). But I have a dozen different high-end wine tasting oriented glasses and this is the best by far. Works quite well for white burgundy too (though there is a different glass for that). Personally I am sold on this being the best glass for this purpose, and nothing else comes close. It opens up wines quickly and really shows the good and bad aspects. I've used the same glass daily for many years, with no problems (and it has taken a few falls). It is of course hand wash only. Once I even poured an entire bottle of wine into the glass (a real abuse), and it was fine. Riedel makes great glass (no stresses or hidden fractures). Expensive but worth it.

For parties I use the Spiegelau (much cheaper and mostly just as good); only special guests get Riedel.

Thank you for your advice! Order has been placed as recommended :)

Simple answer: just buy Riedel Vinum glasses for when you have a dinner party, they are only about $20 each.

I then keep the Bordeaux Sommelier glasses for myself/gf when needed.

For scotch I prefer a nice, proper rocks glass. Though I usually have my scotch up (or with a splash of water), there is something to be said about enjoying a scotch in a hefty rocks glass. Again, Check out the Riedel.

You are amazing!
I have some questions if you were to buy one glass would it be the Sommelier Burgandy Grand Cru?
Where the HECK did you find it for $50?
What is the brandy glass you speak of - is it the inexpensive Vinum Brandy Glass or the more expensive VSOP/XO glasses?
Here is a site I found: http://www.thewinemerchantinc.com/Riedel/price2.html
But this one had pictures and listings of every glass: http://www.winemerchantraleigh.com/riedel
Best glass for scotch - if there is one?
What is the difference between the bordeaux and burgandy glasses?The wine store web sites tend to have a large markup (but even so, those prices are a bit over the top, I guess they don't want to sell too many). The first hit on Google has the Sommelier glasses for USD 76 at http://www.winestuff.com/acatalog/Riedel_Sommelier.html


I bought 4 of them for USD 200 (or USD 50 apiece) last year (have 5 total, the other I've had for years). I do think that the Burgundy Sommelier Grand Cru is the most versatile single glass. It works for a lot of wines, even riesling. However the specific varietal glasses do have better performance, it isn't just hype to have all those different shapes. The Bordeaux glass will bring out the tobacco and lead pencil overtones, while the Burgundy glass is more fruity and floral. However a good bordeaux tastes better in the Burgundy grand cru glass than it does in the bordeaux non-grand-cru glass (which is much smaller and cheaper; the large bowl size really helps with aeration and concentrating vapours, perhaps the biggest reason for the superb results). It is really the grand cru series where Riedel has a particular advantage.

Re. the scotch glass, I don't think it is especially good, I think the cognac glass is actually better for scotch. The brandy glass I use and like is the Sommelier cognac glass (bulging tulip shape, the bowl actually is quite nice for swirling). I have found that from a taste standpoint the Riedel Sommelier series is better than anything else, including the other Riedel glasses (some are more for show than tasting).

I've tried a lot of different glasses over the years including the high end Riedels. I've settled on the Riedel Ouverture Red Wine glass. I use it for all types of wine. They are $31.96 for 4 at Amazon so you don't get upset when one breaks in the dishwasher and you can stock a lot for parties. They are much more durable than the more expensive Riedel lines.

Additionally, at wine tasting competitions they use a specific glass size and shape set by ISO (believe it or not!) These glasses match that size almost exactly.

Re. the scotch glass, I don't think it is especially good, I think the cognac glass is actually better for scotch. The brandy glass I use and like is the Sommelier cognac glass (bulging tulip shape, the bowl actually is quite nice for swirling). I have found that from a taste standpoint the Riedel Sommelier series is better than anything else, including the other Riedel glasses (some are more for show than tasting).OK, the VSOP (http://www.winemerchantraleigh.com/132821?id=8E4xpS7t) or XO (http://www.winemerchantraleigh.com/132820?id=8E4xpS7t) glass. I suppose you will say it depends on the quality of scotch/brandy/cognac.

So I am leaning towards the Burgundy Cru. Stores in my area do not believe the $50 price ever existed and claim that even the $75 online price is below their cost since the wine glasses (so they say) are actually regulated by the Washington State Liquor Control Board.

OK, the VSOP (http://www.winemerchantraleigh.com/132821?id=8E4xpS7t) or XO (http://www.winemerchantraleigh.com/132820?id=8E4xpS7t) glass. I suppose you will say it depends on the quality of scotch/brandy/cognac.

So I am leaning towards the Burgundy Cru. Stores in my area do not believe the $50 price ever existed and claim that even the $75 online price is below their cost since the wine glasses (so they say) are actually regulated by the Washington State Liquor Control Board.Yes, I have the XO glass and find it really works. I am not convinced that there is enough difference between the XO and VSOP glasses to merit having both, and I'm happy with the XO glass, which I use for lots of eau de vie etc. and not just cognac; and it really is better for scotch than the malt whiskey glass.

I like the Burgundy Grand Cru glass a lot, and it works well for white burgundy (though it is meant for red only). The Grand cru glass is a lot better than the cru glass, fwiw. At least to my taste (in fact I'd rather use the Bordeaux Grand Cru glass for burgundy than the Burgundy Cru glass, if I cannot have the Burgundy Grand Cru). But the Cru glasses are better than most of the competition.

Glassware prices regulated by the state alcohol board? Absurd. At least one of the Riedel glass shapes is marketed as being for water ... so how do they justify setting prices for water glasses? Or is turning water into wine a Seattle specialty?

This is what it says about the Riedel Sommeliers Burgundy Grand Cru:
"This beautiful monster of a glass can take apart a lesser wine, mercilessly showing up its weaknesses. But a great wine - a top class Burgundy, Barolo or Barbaresco - will be revealed in all its glory."
Does this mean you have to drink only "top class" wines? Will a cheaper wine work in this glass?

The S-W Top 10 Mature Red is a wonderful stem. I've had a set of 6 for 2 years now with no breakage (fingers crossed). I would have gone thru 2 sets of Riedels by now.

http://www.brentwoodwine.com/schott_topten.html

This is what it says about the Riedel Sommeliers Burgundy Grand Cru:
"This beautiful monster of a glass can take apart a lesser wine, mercilessly showing up its weaknesses. But a great wine - a top class Burgundy, Barolo or Barbaresco - will be revealed in all its glory."
Does this mean you have to drink only "top class" wines? Will a cheaper wine work in this glass?I've drunk hundreds of different wines from this glass over the years, at all price points. Most were enjoyable, and some were stunning. The glass does bring out and accentuate small flavours, including off flavours that are flaws in the wine. But modern wine making tends to avoid wrong flavours and most wines suffer from being too diffuse and lacking character; this glass certainly adds character to any wine. It works best for full bodied wines, with the exception of port (not good at all for port), and less well for gewurz (not too surprising given the purpose of the glass and the shape). For pinot noir it is superb, even for young and poor pinot; and does surprisingly well for chardonnay. But there is a reason that so many different glass shapes have been developed, and the specific varietal shapes have a purpose. That said, some of the best wine that I have drunk from the Burgundy glass are Shiraz, so it is quite a versatile glass.

Sounds good - now if you can find me the "4 for $200" deal I have joint investors standing by.

Taste buds are limited to 4 flavours (bitter, sweet, salty and sour); everything else is smell.

Incorrect. There are five tastes: bitter, sweet, salty, sour, and umami.

Incorrect. There are five tastes: bitter, sweet, salty, sour, and umami.But not in wine; no wines made (so far) contain umami (which requires the amino acid glutamate and the nucleotides guanylate and inosinate to trigger the umami taste receptors). So, for the purpose of wine tasting, umami does not exist (except perhaps as an undesirable contaminant). But maybe some winery will produce wine with MSG, for that "steaky" taste.

The most affordable Sommeliers I have found is at www.wineenthusiast.com. They usually offer free shipping too.

The most affordable Sommeliers I have found is at www.wineenthusiast.com. They usually offer free shipping too.Affordable "internet" prices and no shipping or sales tax. I have been looking for the burgundy below the $75 price however without any luck.

I did get a couple of the Vinum Burgundy glasses for $40 from Williams Sonoma just to hold me off for now. They worked great for my Malbac even though they are not designed for it.

My boss has service for 24 in the Vinum extreme(purchased 24 tasting sets)as we set a table with both a red and white as well as water this is a LOT of hand washing of glasses(no way I would have the maids put these in the dishwasher)and ,quite frankly,I think it is a case of pearls before swine since most of our guests have no idea about wine-let alone the thought that goes into the design of the glasses.
So for yourself and a companion-go for the Vinum extreme tasting sets.For company Target sells a very serviceble line by riedel that is far less costly,does the job of opening up the wine,and will fit into the dishwasher nicely.

I decided to try a wine tasting comparing the same wine in various glasses that I own. Wine was 2001 Rosemount GSM (48% Grenache, 45% Syrah and 7% Mourvedre). This wine has several conflicting/complementing elements, fruity Syrah, spicy Grenache and earthy Mourvedre. If Riedel theory is correct, the different glass shape accentuates different aspects of the wine.

Burgundy Grand Cru: wine was best in this glass, esp. when initially opened (ie. not yet properly aerated). Accentuated both the fruit and the structure (the latter a bit surprisingly).

Burgundy glass: quite a bit different from the Grand Cru glass (it is half the size). Almost like a different wine when first poured, but converges to the Grand Cru glass after an hour. But a less intense/concentrated tasting effect.

Bourdeaux Grand Cru glass: Slight but distinct tobacco and pencil lead overtone which does not exist in the Burgundy glasses. A more aged taste (note this 2001 GSM is way too young, it peaks maybe 10 years from now). The bordeaux glass adds a surprising amount of age (this doesn't happen with cabs, btw).

Riesling glass: the anti-thesis of what this wine is about, so the question is how bad will this glass make this wine taste? A big difference when first poured, with a markedly sweeter taste. The shiraz really dominates the flavour (while with the other glasses it is more balanced). As the wine opens up in the riesling glass, it gets closer and closer to the burgundy glass taste. After about 2 hours it is "close enough".

Conclusion: glass makes as much difference as the wine for the initial tasting, but as the wine opens up the glass becomes less important and the wine more so. If I had to quantify it, I'd say there was 100% difference between riesling and burgundy glass at the start, and 10% after 2 hours. Quite a nice demonstration of what the right glass does. Also that the condition of the wine is as important, or more important, than the glass. I was mostly interested in seeing the difference between bordeaux and burgundy glass for this non-pinot non-cab wine and it was interesting to see the difference (the bordeaux/burgundy glasses are superficially similar in shape, so this also covers the "generic big red" glass case).