DiningBuzz! - Riedel stemless wine glasses

I picked up some of these at Around Wine in London and love them. In fact, they are my wine glass of choice at home now. The only problem is that the bowl seems to warm faster than normal due to direct handling, but I can live with that. I always kind of thought it was a myth that the shape of the glass would really affect the taste of the wine in a noticeable way, but we can definitely tell a difference. Riedel has definitely mastered this science. The other thing is that they are very sturdy - it is very hard to tip these things over, even when...buzzed, we'll say.

Anybody else tried these or have a better recommendation at the same price range - say £10 a glass?

I had some but they managed to break over time. We now use Schott Zwiesel Tritan most of the time and prefer them to the Riedel glasses (of which we still have many). The Tritan series is about as tough as they come. ^

There was just a story about the shape of the wine glass that many of the wineries I know was circulating

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/apr/25/shape-of-glass-enhance-wine

It was an interesting read in that for some it totally changed the taste of the wine based on the shape of the glass.

Quite a few years ago, my partner's friend and her husband came to visit, and brought over a bottle of home-brew wine (some red). I told the fiend's husband about the Vinum glasses and he wasn't convinced. Serving the wine in 2 different shapes, both of them admitted the wine did taste different out of both glasses (not that you can make proverbial silk purses....)

There's an interesting Austrian connection as both my partner and her friend are ethnic Austrians though only the hand-blown glasses are made in Austria these days.

Good wine glasses do make a difference, but my main gripe with the Riedel stemless glasses is that one's hands can't help but warm the wine. Sometimes that's desirable, but oftentimes it's not. Good stemware, including that made by Riedel and other comparable brands, allows you to choose to hold the glass by either the bowl or the stem, depending upon whether the wine itself is already at the proper temperature for optimal enjoyment.

We got some of these as a gift, and I love how they've managed to hold up to the dishwasher. I also agree that it warms the wine pretty quickly from holding it. I only ever drink reds out of them, and try not to handle them too much. We also got an aerator that pops into the bottle opening, so it aerates it while it's pouring. I'm quite impressed, and love proving to people the difference in the taste of the wine with and without the aerator.

Quite a few years ago, my partner's friend and her husband came to visit, and brought over a bottle of home-brew wine (some red). I told the fiend's husband about the Vinum glasses and he wasn't convinced. Serving the wine in 2 different shapes, both of them admitted the wine did taste different out of both glasses (not that you can make proverbial silk purses....)

There's an interesting Austrian connection as both my partner and her friend are ethnic Austrians though only the hand-blown glasses are made in Austria these days.

I guess the next question would be whether there is any difference between the Vinum range and the hand-blown Sommelier range. I doubt that I would be able to tell the difference, but I'm also not about to buy any.

I guess the next question would be whether there is any difference between the Vinum range and the hand-blown Sommelier range. I doubt that I would be able to tell the difference, but I'm also not about to buy any.I use the Sommelier glasses almost all the time despite having more shapes in the Vinum -- find the "wrong" Sommelier is still better than the "right" Vinum. Having a 1 liter wine glass is a bit intimidating, though :) But the wine tastes so good, definitely a difference with Sommelier glasses over the other (smaller) Riedel.

Edit to add: a rather important consideration is that the Sommelier glasses are not designed to flatter a wine -- while the other Riedel glasses are. Part of the Sommelier glass function is to accentuate the flaws of a wine, to make differentiation in tasting easier; so use only with good wines :)

I use the Sommelier glasses almost all the time despite having more shapes in the Vinum -- find the "wrong" Sommelier is still better than the "right" Vinum. Having a 1 liter wine glass is a bit intimidating, though :) But the wine tastes so good, definitely a difference with Sommelier glasses over the other (smaller) Riedel.

Edit to add: a rather important consideration is that the Sommelier glasses are not designed to flatter a wine -- while the other Riedel glasses are. Part of the Sommelier glass function is to accentuate the flaws of a wine, to make differentiation in tasting easier; so use only with good wines :)

I finally broke down and bought a Sommelier Burgundy glass on a trip this week. I definitely have enough good burgundy on hand to give it a thorough testing.

Well, the Sommelier glass was a partial success - for my wife. I opened a premier cru Burgundy and poured some in a vinum and in the Sommelier. I couldn't really tell a big difference. So I asked my wife, who has a much stronger pallette than I do, to taste and give me her thoughts. She was floored by the wine in the Sommelier and said it was amazing on the nose compared to the vinum. So I guess it's hers now

I used to love Riedel but as several others have noted it is far to easy warming the wine when cuping the glass. These days I prefer the simple elegance of Kosta Boda. (http://www.kostaboda.com/products/all-products/product/line.html?tx_smdakbdam_pi1[view]=2&cHash=fdfdc137ab413995493d404618e9340a) I use their stemless cocktail glass for wine. The crystal in these glasses is a bit thicker while still light.

I got 2 handmade recycled wine glasses as a gift about an year ago. These glasses exceeded my expectations. They was as large as I expected and made from a thick and durable glass material. they have a beautiful uniqueness as they catch the light and have fairly greenish glow in them. Since they are larger but still comfortable and seems to be durable.

We have these. I call them "eggshells." We broke two in the first week with normal use. Nothing in the way we handled them would've caused them to break. Now we hand wash them carefully but they are my husband's favorite wine glass.

Not Reidel (I won't spend money on something I will inevitably break), but we have a set of stemless glasses from Ikea (I think). They work just fine, don't tip over like stemware, and are really neat to look at.

As for affecting the taste... I think it's basically a myth, although I can see how some glasses will affect the flow of the liquid into your mouth, thus altering taste perception.

However, considering that I rarely spend more than 20-30 bucks on a bottle of wine, I doubt that this makes much difference. Temperature and oxygenation is FAR more important.

As for affecting the taste... I think it's basically a myth, although I can see how some glasses will affect the flow of the liquid into your mouth, thus altering taste perception.



If you ever drank wine out of a plastic cup at a summer BBQ, you'd change your mind. :p

Shameless plug for WineDo 5 below.

If you ever drank wine out of a plastic cup at a summer BBQ, you'd change your mind. :p

Shameless plug for WineDo 5 below.

I just had wine out of a plastic cup yesterday. It was on Turkish Airlines, but it got the job done

more than a few years back, when i crewed on a 45' sailboat, the owner would open a bottle or two of tattinger blanc de blanc. he had no glasses or cups on the boat. i drank the stuff out of the resident dog's bowl. was better than the water from the tanks. much better. the bowl was stemless.

I'm pretty sure the shape of the glass makes the wine taste better by the same degree that a paper vs. styrofoam plate makes a burger taste better.

I'm pretty sure the shape of the glass makes the wine taste better by the same degree that a paper vs. styrofoam plate makes a burger taste better.

Even more so. A LOT more so. The fact is, well over half of the flavor sensation of fine wine is in the bouquet (a.k.a the nose, the aromas). And there is all sorts of objective analysis that the size and shape of the glass makes a massive difference in terms of how much those aromas are concentrated so that the taster's olfactory sense gets them.

The type of plate you rest your burger on does not have such an effect, because when you eat your burger, it is no longer on your plate. When you drink your wine, you are drinking it directly from the glass, and usually, your nose is either inside of, or directly above the rim of the glass. The glass matters a lot in terms of capturing and concentrating the nose of the wine.

I'm a nut for the "Right glass for the right wine". But then, the wine I could afford and bought in the halcyon days of youth and yore was better than "jelly glass" but not up to stemware.

I'm a nut for the "Right glass for the right wine". But then, the wine I could afford and bought in the halcyon days of youth and yore was better than "jelly glass" but not up to stemware.

a jelly glass that has a mason jar shape provides pretty much the same features, excepting the glass is thicker.

The glass matters a lot in terms of capturing and concentrating the nose of the wine.Well, that's what people who sell glasses would like us to believe, at least. :)

Well, that's what people who sell glasses would like us to believe, at least. :)

Actually, that's not from folks who sell glasses. It's from folks who produce fine wines, and want them appreciated. It's certainly been established in both single and double blind tastings at a highly statistically significant level that the size of the glassware and the degree to which the bowl concentrates the nose makes a substantial difference in taste perception of wines.

Even folks who have very little experience discerning differences among fine wines have been shown to prefer wines from large glasses tasted blind, where the bowl is shaped to concentrate the nose.

Actually, that's not from folks who sell glasses. It's from folks who produce fine wines, and want them appreciated. It's certainly been established in both single and double blind tastings at a highly statistically significant level that the size of the glassware and the degree to which the bowl concentrates the nose makes a substantial difference in taste perception of wines.

Even folks who have very little experience discerning differences among fine wines have been shown to prefer wines from large glasses tasted blind, where the bowl is shaped to concentrate the nose.So we need a big glass with a small opening? I look forward to reading the research.

So we need a big glass with a small opening? I look forward to reading the research.

There's a lot of B.S. out there about wine glasses, but in actual fact, any good quality glasses that are in the 16 Oz or larger range, and which have a rim that is smaller than the widest part of the bowl by at least 25% (33% might even be better) will do the job. You can pick up good quality glasses that meet this need for pretty cheap - like $4-6 per glass if you shop around and don't get hung up with brand names.

Professional tasters use a standard glass called an INAO glass when evaluating wines critically. IMHO, they are too small for optimum drinking enjoyment, but the proportions of their shape is ideal. Attached is the specs for an INAO glass. For me, the best glasses to buy are those that are shaped essentially the same as INAO glasses, but are more like 20-24 oz in size - essentially triple the volume of a standard INAO glass. You can find them pretty cheaply all over if you look around for them.

http://www.edsoon.com/the-inao-glass-the-objective-standard-adopted-by-the-industry/

There's a lot of B.S. out there about wine glasses, but in actual fact, any good quality glasses that are in the 16 Oz or larger range, and which have a rim that is smaller than the widest part of the bowl by at least 25% (33% might even be better) will do the job. You can pick up good quality glasses that meet this need for pretty cheap - like $4-6 per glass if you shop around and don't get hung up with brand names.



http://www.edsoon.com/the-inao-glass-the-objective-standard-adopted-by-the-industry/

we have picked up about 100. most are in matched sets of 2 or 3 or 4. do have 6 matched riedel stemless. buy at marshalls, or tuesday morning. bought a number of beautiful rosenthal goblets at tues am, for a buck a glass. do prefer the correct champagne glass for "chompers" as all the literati call it(also known as bubbly burg).

Actually, that's not from folks who sell glasses. It's from folks who produce fine wines, and want them appreciated. It's certainly been established in both single and double blind tastings at a highly statistically significant level that the size of the glassware and the degree to which the bowl concentrates the nose makes a substantial difference in taste perception of wines.

Even folks who have very little experience discerning differences among fine wines have been shown to prefer wines from large glasses tasted blind, where the bowl is shaped to concentrate the nose.

I have participated in several wine tastings where we have also tried the effect of the glass on the wine. There is a clear difference.

a jelly glass that has a mason jar shape provides pretty much the same features, excepting the glass is thicker.

Why, that must be the reason that in my youth wine tasted so good in those old bulbous, thick-walled (flutes around the base) glasses stolen from hotel bathrooms. It was the "globe" to contain the bouquet! Obviously, the glass had originally been designed for confrontive, combative wine-tastings to reduce breakage and critics cut by shards from shattered delicate glassware.

more than a few years back, when i crewed on a 45' sailboat, the owner would open a bottle or two of tattinger blanc de blanc. he had no glasses or cups on the boat. i drank the stuff out of the resident dog's bowl. was better than the water from the tanks. much better. the bowl was stemless.

The above post is perhaps the best Ive read on FT for a very, very long time.... :D :D :D ^ ^ ^

Pure vinum marketing.

Which alas, my wife and I fell for 15 years ago. The stemless when it first appeared does warm the glass like Cognac, so use a proper glass and just aerate your better wines if you want the full bouquet. There is much better fine Austrian glassware to be found elsewhere.

All our Reidel is now either broken or donated away. Good riddance.

more than a few years back, when i crewed on a 45' sailboat, the owner would open a bottle or two of tattinger blanc de blanc. he had no glasses or cups on the boat. i drank the stuff out of the resident dog's bowl. was better than the water from the tanks. much better. the bowl was stemless.

OK, now THIS made me laugh!

...Any good quality glasses that are in the 16 Oz or larger range, and which have a rim that is smaller than the widest part of the bowl by at least 25% (33% might even be better) will do the job.That seems to describe 90% of red wine glasses.

That's why I think the whole "We've invented a fancy new one" is a load of crap.