The era of the all-purpose wine glass is over, smashed by the radical creations of an Austrian glass designer.
With the recent introduction of two new port glasses, the line of handmade Riedel crystal stemware expanded to 22 types. They range from the delicate 6-ounce port glasses to a 32-ounce, 10 1/2-inch high Bordeaux goblet; other distinctive shapes are dedicated to champagne, sherry, cognac, pinot noir, chardonnay and other types of wine.
The moving force behind this revolution is 42-year-old Georg Riedel, the 10th generation of his family to work in the glass business. His father, Claus Joseph, won more than two dozen awards for his lead-crystal designs working from the Riedel Glashutte in Kufstein, not far from Vienna. Georg has extended the handmade Sommeliers line and introduced a lower-price, machine-made series called Vinum.
Taste test
Riedel`s message is simple.
”When you bring a glass of wine to your nose and lips,” he says, ”it`s the moment of truth. The glass transports the character of the wine through its bouquet, and different glasses bring out different aspects of a wine`s personality.”
He has evidence to support his contention. In blind tasting after blind tasting, experts have preferred wine in a Riedel glass over the same wine in another glass. He also points out that ”the younger a wine, the more important the glass.” Since most wine drunk in America is consumed within 24 hours of purchase, this is a meaningful observation.
However, even a single set of Riedel glasses represents a meaningful investment. Sommelier glasses sell for $45 to $60 each and those in the Vinum line are $10 to $20 each. The firm also manufactures decanters, the
”ultimate” martini glass, bowls and other decorative items.
”We aim at people who buy fine wines and take them seriously,” he says. Riedel glassware is sold at Marshall Field & Co. stores; Bloomingdale`s, 900 N. Michigan Ave.; Tiffany & Co, 715 N. Michigan Ave.; Crystal Cave, 1141 Central Ave., Wilmette; Table of Contents, 444 N. Wells St., and several wine shops.
