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The Riedel Glasses
Story
“There is no greater purist than
Georg Riedel, an Austrian glass-maker who is unusual for his
wine connoisseurship and has designed a series of different
glasses not just for young red bordeaux and mature red bordeaux,
but also, for example, different glasses for vintage port and
tawny port, and for Brunello di Montalcino and for Chianti.
These designs are all based purely on analyzing how different
taste characteristics are optimized on the nose and palate by
minute variations in glass design.”
Robinson, J., Oxford Companion to
Wine, p 451.
”The finest glasses for both technical and hedonistic purposes
are those made by Riedel. The effect of these glasses on fine
wine is profound. I cannot emphasize enough what a difference
they make.”
(Robert M. Parker, Jr. The Wine Advocate)
Professor Claus J. Riedel was the first designer to recognize
that the bouquet, taste, balance and finish of wines are
affected by the shape of the glass from which they are drunk.
Forty years ago he began his pioneering work to create stemware
that would match and complement different wines and spirits. In
the late 1950s, Riedel started to produce glasses which at that
time were a design revolution. Thin-blown, unadorned, reducing
the design to its essence: Bowl, stem and base.
Working with experienced tasters, Riedel discovered that wine
enjoyed from his glasses showed more depth and better balance
than when served in other glasses. Claus J. Riedel laid the
groundwork for stemware which was functional as well as
beautiful, and made according to the Bauhaus design principle:
form follows function.
In 1961 a revolutionary concept was introduced, when the Riedel
catalogue featured the first line of wine glasses created in
different sizes and shapes. Before this, conventional stemware
had used a single basic bowl shape, with only the size varying
depending on use.
The concept was illustrated to perfection with the introduction
of the Sommeliers series in 1973, which achieved worldwide
recognition. A glass was born that turns a sip into a
celebration – a wine’s best friend – fine-tuned to match the
grape! We invite you to share this fascinating and unique
experience.
You don’t need to be a wine writer, a wine maker or an expert to
taste the difference that a Riedel glass can make.
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THE
CONTENT DETERMINES THE SHAPE |
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When developing a glass, Riedel’s
design ideas are not born on a drawing board, but shaped by
trial and error with the help and support of the world’s
greatest palates.
A person interested in wine is led by color, bouquet and
taste, but often the glass is not considered as an
instrument to convey the message of the wine. Over the years
Riedel acquired some interesting scientific explanations as
to why the shape of a glass influences the bouquet and taste
of alcoholic beverages. The first discovery was made while
enjoying wine. The same wine displayed completely
differently characteristics when served in a variety of
glasses. The differences were so great that experienced
connoisseurs were made to believe that they were tasting a
different wine.
The grape variety is the key factor in determining the
relationship between fruit, acidity, tannin and alcohol. As
the next step, Riedel was able to create shapes in which the
wine, vinified from specific grape varieties, seemed to
improve. We started to recognize the complex role that size
and shape play in conveying the message of a fine wine.
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SOMMELIERS 400/00
Ideal for highly tannic red wines of moderate acidity.
Directs the wine to the center of the tongue, creating an
harmony of fruit, tannin and acidity.
Cut Rim
Permits the wine to flow smoothly onto the tongue. |
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SOMMELIERS 400/16
Perfect for red wines with high acidity and moderate
tannin. Directs the wine to the tip of the tongue,
highlighting the fruit and balancing the naturally high
acidity.
Cut Rim
Permits the wine to flow smoothly onto the tongue. |
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ROLLED RIM
Inhibits the smooth flow of wine and tends to accentuate
acidity and harshness. |
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SOMMELIERS 400/28
For champagne. Designed to highlight the fine bouquet,
richness and complexity on the palate. |
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SOMMELIERS 400/0
Created for full bodied white wines with moderate acidity.
Directs the wine to the center of the tongue, bringing all
of the components into perfect harmony. |
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SOMMELIERS 400/1
Designed for light fruity white wines that are high in
acidity. Guides the wine to the tip of the tongue,
accentuating the fruit and deemphasizing the naturally
high acid. |
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BOUQUET
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The quality and intensity of aromas are
determined by the personality of a wine but also by its
affinity to the glass shape. Bouquet can only develop in a
limited temperature range. Low temperatures temper the
intensity, whereas high temperatures promote mainly
alcoholic fumes.
Important as the shape of a glass is, it cannot function
properly unless the wine is served at the correct
temperature and in the right serving quantities (white wine:
2-3 oz., red wine 3-5 oz.). When the wine is poured, it
immediately starts to evaporate and its aromas quickly fill
the glass in layers according to their density and specific
gravity. Consequently, the size and the shape of the glass
can be fine-tuned to the typical aromas of a grape variety.
The lightest, most fragile are those reminiscent of flower
and fruit and these rise right up to the rim of the glass,
while the middle fills with green vegetal scents and earthy,
mineral components. The heaviest aromas, typically of wood
and alcohol, remain at the bottom of the glass. Swirling the
wine in the glass moistens a larger surface area, and this
increases the evaporation and intensity of the aromas. But
swirling does not encourage different elements of the
bouquet to blend together. This in fact explains why the
same wine in different glasses shows such an amazing variety
of aromas.(The same wine can exhibit fruit aromas in one
glass and green and vegetal notes in another). To eliminate
this effect, you would have to move the layers vertically
and shake the glass. Only then would you discover the same
bouquet in all glasses!
Experienced tasters rely on their olfactory talents more
than their palates to determine the provenance of the wine
or the grape variety in blind tastings. Very large glasses
with a capacity of more than 25 ounces allow you to “nose”
through the layers of bouquet by inhaling very gently and
regularly for about ten seconds, penetrating down through
the surface layers of fruit to the more earthy and alcoholic
notes below. |
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TASTE
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Each individual is the sovereign of his
palate. We cannot dictate rigid rules that override personal
preferences. We can, however, give some valuable guidelines
– and over the years the response of wine lovers to our
suggestions has been overwhelmingly positive. Physical
movements and adjustments of head and body are controlled
subconsciously. 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.
Gulping to quench one’s thirst negates the benefits of the
glass, since it means that flavour is only experienced in
the aftertastes. Alcoholic beverages are consumed according
to their strength in small to very small quantities at a
time. this offers the opportunity to control the flow of the
drink and consequently the initial contact with the tongue.
The resulting nerve impulse is transmitted to the brain at a
speed of 400/m sec, where it leaves a lasting first
impression. In most cases we are disappointed if sweet fruit
flavours are absent ant tart components dominate the taste
picture. When this happens, the tendency is to blame the
wine rather than the inappropriate shape of the glass.
This is precisely where a glass can make a dramatic
difference in conveying a wine’s message. Every wine has its
own unique blend of qualities: fruit, acidity, minerals,
tannin, alcohol that are based on the grape variety and the
climate and soil on which it is grown. By studying the
varietal characteristics, Riedel glasses are able to deliver
a wine or spirit to the nose and palate in such a way that
it can fully express its personality. The finish plays an
important part in the overall impression and this too is
strongly influenced by the design of the bowl. It will take
time to recognize that a glass is not just a glass, but an
instrument of pleasure and enjoyment. |
GENERAL RULES
The glasses are designed to emphasize a wine’s harmony, not
faults. Riedel has always viewed the wine glass as an instrument
to bring together: the personality of the wine, smell, taste,
appearance (including the beauty of the object).
To fully appreciate the different grape varieties and the subtle
characteristics of individual wines, it is essential to have a
glass which has a shape fine-tuned for the purpose. The shape is
responsible for the quality and intensity of the bouquet and the
flow of the wine.
The initial contact point depends on the shape and volume of the
glass, the diameter of the rim, and its finish (whether it is a
cut and polished or rolled edge) as well as the thickness of the
crystal.
As you put your wine glass to your lips, your taste buds are on
the alert. The wine flow is directed onto the appropriate taste
zones of your palate and consequently leads to different taste
pictures. Once your tongue is in contact with the wine three
messages are transmitted at the same time: temperature, texture
and taste.
SHAPE
Riedel’s guiding
principle: The content determines the shape.
SIZE
The size of a glass is
important, affecting the quality and intensity of aromas. The
breathing space has to be chosen according to the “personality”
of the wine or spirit.
Red wines require large glasses, white wines medium-sized
glasses and spirits, small ones (to emphasize the fruit
character and not the alcohol).
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