This set of simple but elegant crystal wine glasses
would grace the simplest outdoor picnic as well as a multicourse
formal meal in the dining room. The glasses are 9 inches
tall, 2-1/2 inches across the top, and 3 inches across
the wider portion of the tulip shape. They have very thin
stems and wide, stable bottoms that won't tip easily--a
design bonus, since no one likes trying to clean red wine
out of a tablecloth. A set of these glasses would make
a lovely housewarming or wedding gift, along with a select
bottle from your favorite winery.
Made in Austria by the world's most renowned wine-glass maker
Riedel Crystal, founded in 1756, the four large glasses in
this set are ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and full-bodied
red Bordeaux wines like Cabernet Franc. The glasses are from
Riedel's Vinum Extreme series, which are distinguished by
their bowls' dramatically flared diamond shape. The glasses
provide an exceptionally wide evaporation surface, thereby
intensifying wines' bouquet and silky texture. The glasses
are machine-blown of 24 percent lead crystal and conform to
Riedel's exacting standards: colorless, transparent, and thin-walled,
with lips cut and polished so wine flows smoothly onto the
tongue. These glasses are 9-3/4 inches high and hold 30-3/8
ounces.
Several years ago, an article in Wine Spectator magazine
noted the importance of a high-quality glass for improving
a wine's looks and enhancing its bouquet. However, the magazine
lamented, many of the attributes that increase the beauty
and value of the glass actually obscure the wine. Spiegelau's
Vino Grande series is part of a connoisseur line designed
specifically for wine lovers. The thin rim means less distraction
from the taste and texture of the wine. Tap the glass gently
with your fingernail and you'll hear the distinctive ping
of fine crystal.
This clear vintage port glass measures 7-1/4 inches high.
The glass is evenly proportioned, with stem and bowl approximately
the same height. These glasses are billed as being dishwasher-safe
and are sturdy enough for everyday use, as proven by their
popular use in restaurants. Still, we'd recommend hand washing.
You splurge on a set of expensive all-purpose crystal wine
glasses, which for years you keep filled with Cabernet sauvignon,
Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, or any French
combo of the above. Then one day you taste these same wines
in the Riedel Vinum series Bordeaux glass and you're calling
Goodwill to arrange pickup for a service for eight. Credit--or
blame--Riedel's theory that stemware can be designed to direct
wines to specific areas of the tongue to enhance the wine's
fruitiness, acidity, and tannic heft. And with this glass,
model 416/0 to Riedel loyalists, the theory is as plausible
as it is pleasurable. A five-year-old Cabernet Franc from
Washington State, tasted in both the Vinum Bordeaux and another
brand's crystal, was a revelation. With its high, concave,
large-capacity bowl, the Riedel glass exhibited the wine's
nose of cherry as well as its bright acidity--impressions
absent from the contents of "Brand X."
When you first hear of the philosophy behind Austrian glassmaker
Riedel and its Vinum line of machine-made full-crystal stemware,
you can be forgiven for raising your eyebrows higher than
prices of white Burgundy. The tongue is divided into four
zones, each recognizing either sweetness, bitterness, saltiness,
or acidity and that by matching the size and shape of the
glass to specific wines, their sensory attributes can be enhanced?
Fortunately, with the Riedel Vinum series Chardonnay glass,
the company has put its Montrachet where its mouth is and
come up with a design to please not only Chardophiles, but
also fans of Chenin, Viognier, the Pinot brothers--Gris and
Blanc--even noble rotters from Sauternes. A Pacific Northwest
Chard tasted in both the Riedel and what was previously thought
to be "the good crystal" revealed a balanced acidic brightness
in the former and a sort of boozy flabbiness in the latter.
With its medium-height bowl and tapered opening, the Vinum
Chardonnay glass almost forces you to purse your lips, directing
the wine to the mid-tongue's acid receptors and thereby balancing
the wine's fruit and oak.
These are the wine glasses you'll pull out every night for
dinner, as well as on those special occasions. Their shape
enhances the aromas and flavors of any wine. They are durable,
dishwasher-safe, and retain their clarity well. And they're
color-stable for guaranteed brilliance. The only thing missing
with these glasses is the wine itself.
If, when asked to enumerate your favorite after-dinner beverages,
you find yourself listing port, then you will cherish Riedel's
Vinum series port glass. Austrian glassmaker Riedel has built
a reputation based on the premise that the tongue is divided
into four zones, each recognizing either sweetness, bitterness,
saltiness, or acidity, and that by changing a glass's size
and shape, it can be perfectly attuned to a particular wine's
stylistic nuances. With this glass, Riedel has set its sights
on the rich high-alcohol classics from Portugal. With its
elegant, barely fluted teardrop design, the Vinum port glass
serves to enhance the wine's floral, raisiny aromatics while
mitigating any alcohol burn to the nose. In doing so, the
Vinum port glass is sure to become indispensable after all
fine meals.
Several years ago, an article in Wine Spectator magazine
noted the importance of a high-quality glass for improving
a wine's looks and enhancing its bouquet. However, the magazine
lamented, many of the attributes that increase the beauty
and value of the glass actually obscure the wine. Spiegelau's
Vino Grande series is part of a connoisseur line designed
specifically for wine lovers. The thin rim means less distraction
from the taste and texture of the wine. Tap the glass gently
with your fingernail and you'll hear the distinctive ping
of fine crystal.
This generously sized wine glass measures 9 inches high and
is designed to showcase the Bordeaux region's Cabernet Sauvignons
and Merlots. The glasses are billed as dishwasher-safe and
are sturdy enough for everyday use, as proven by their use
in restaurants. Still, we'd recommend hand washing.
The name is true. This stylish glassware by Furio has a charismatic
design. Its clean curves and clarity make it classic. Sold
in sets of 4, these glasses add an air of class to both formal
and casual dinners. Crystal clear glass, straight stem and
round base. Dishwasher safe. Made in USA.
Made in Austria by the world's most renowned wineglass maker,
Riedel Crystal, founded in 1756, the four large glasses in
this wine-tasting set from Riedel's Vinum Extreme series established
a new standard when they were introduced. Distinguished by
their bowls' dramatically flared diamond shape, the glasses
provide an exceptionally wide evaporation surface, thereby
intensifying a wine's bouquet and silky texture. The glasses
are machine-blown of 24 percent lead crystal and conform to
Riedel's exacting standards: they're colorless, transparent,
and thin-walled, and their lips are cut and polished so wine
flows smoothly onto the tongue.
Looking like an especially well-regulated art nouveau lava
lamp, the Riedel Vinum Series Cuvee/Prestige glass was designed
to add to your enjoyment of your favorite sparkling wines.
The obvious and prime attraction to any bubbly is the bubbles.
This glass is known as 416/48 to Riedel loyalists; at the
interior bottom of its weighty, languidly curved bowl lies
a small crystal pinhole. This etched "fizz mark" provides
a rough surface on which the beads form, rising to the surface
in a steady stream through the center of the liquid. It may
sound scientifically dry, but it's just Riedel's way of putting
the "fizz" in "physics."
This glass, model 416/7 to enthusiasts, is made for fans
of New World Pinot Noir and the red wines of Burgundy and
Italy. With it, Riedel brings its theory--that the tongue
is divided into four zones, each recognizing either sweetness,
bitterness, saltiness, or acidity, and that by changing the
size and shape of the glass it can accentuate wine positives
while mitigating negatives--to bear on the wines made from
Pinot, Gamay, Barbera, and Nebbiolo grapes. And tasting a
slightly faded Gamay-based Brouilly cru Beaujolais in both
Riedel and another brand of crystal stemware puts theory to
practice. With its large-capacity, squat, and concave bowl,
the Riedel softened the wine's tart nose and directed the
wine to the tip of the tongue, highlighting the remaining
fruit-things "X" was unable to do. It's an odd feeling to
come to the conclusion that your "good" wineglasses aren't.
These exquisite etched glasses by Home delightfully complement
your fine china or everyday dinnerware. Made of handcrafted
blown glass, each piece features an elegant leaf pattern etched
on the side. The 12-oz. wine glasses and 16-oz. tumblers are
ideal for dinner parties, while the 5-oz. champagne flutes
and 12-oz. double old-fashioned glasses are perfect for after-dinner
drinks. Dishwasher safe. Imported. Flute: 9-1/2Hx2-1/2" diameter.
Wine glass: 8-1/2Hx3" diameter. Double old-fashioned: 4Hx3"
diameter. Tumbler: 6Hx3" diameter.
The 16 glasses in this stemware set equip a dining room for
serving a variety of beverages in elegant style. The set consists
of eight 12-ounce goblets (perfect for red wine as well as
ice water) and eight 8-1/2-ounce goblets (perfect for white
wine). Stems rise to solid-glass stem caps just below the
glasses' bowls. The stem caps give the glasses high-quality
heft, and they also reflect light and the color of the liquid
inside the bowls. Though stemware should be handled carefully,
these glasses are perfectly safe in a dishwasher's top shelf.
You can remove spots with a clean cloth.
This set of simple but elegant crystal wine glasses would
grace the simplest outdoor picnic as well as a multicourse
formal meal in the dining room. The glasses are 9 inches tall,
2-1/2 inches across the top, and 3 inches across the wider
portion of the tulip shape. They have very thin stems and
wide, stable bottoms that won't tip easily--a design bonus,
since no one likes trying to clean red wine out of a tablecloth.
A set of these glasses would make a lovely housewarming or
wedding gift, along with a select bottle from your favorite
winery.
To quote the old song, "You say poe-tay-toe, I say poe-tah-toe."
In the world of wine, where Australians say "Shiraz" and everyone
else says "Syrah," Riedel has orchestrated another success:
the huge-capacity elliptical bowl of its Vinum Series Shiraz/Syrah
glass perfectly harmonizes the dusky, earthy fruit and tannic
grip of not only this French/Oz workhorse grape, but several
other vinous verses as well. Spain says "Garnacha," France
says "Grenache"; you say "Mataro," I say "Mourvedre"--they
all shine solo or blended in this glass, known as 416/30 to
Riedel loyalists. Try it too with an Italian sun-dried, raisiny
Amarone, as well as an inky Washington State Lemberger (Austrians
say "Blaufrankisch"). It--and not Riedel's Bordeaux glass
416/0--is even the recommended glass for wines made from one
multisynonymied grape traditionally used in Bordeaux blends.
(You say "Auxerrois" and I say "Malbec"--let's call the whole
thing "Cot.")
One of the more versatile stems among the 19 myriad shapes
in Riedel's Vinum line, this glass, model 416/15 to loyalists,
hits almost all the food groups. It's called the Chianti Classico
glass, referring to the Italian region producing red wines
from the Sangiovese grape, but the glass is designed to enhance
the nuance and flavor of wines made of Dolcetto or Montepulciano,
too. And Zinfandel drinkers--we're talking red Zin here--will
find that this glass focuses lots of bright fruit to the nose,
rounding off some of the rougher edges of a young red. A 1997
Napa Valley Zinfandel, tasted in both Riedel and "Brand X,"
bears this out. And lovers of the Riesling grape, take note:
this exact same glass is also marketed as the Riedel Vinum
series Riesling Grand Cru glass, perfect for both the dry
versions as well as the sweeter late harvest renditions of
this tasty white. Why, it's a veritable vinous United Nations--Italians,
Germans, and North Americans of all colors using an Austrian
forum to show off.
