Several years ago, Matt Kramer, who is one of the senior writers for The Wine Spectator magazine, complained in his column that some of the best and most expensive restaurants in America serve wine in glasses that many of us would be ashamed to have at home. Kramer is anything but a wine snob. He was simply responding to the well proven adage that the better the quality of the glass from which you are drinking, the better your wine will taste. Anyone doubting the veracity of this adage need only pour a fine wine into two glasses - one similar to those offered at most restaurants of thick glass, often with a rim about the upper lip, and another made of fine thin crystal. To any person with an even minimally sensitive palate, the higher quality glass will dramatically bring out and highlight flavors and aromas that would otherwise have been lost.

Considering that crystal glasses are fragile and that the very best of these can cost US$100 each, the simple truth is that one would be foolish to use only such glasses. When it comes to special wines, however, special glasses can definitely be appropriate. Such glasses, all of which are made from crystal, fall into two broad categories - those that are of high quality and are considered prestigious and are thus very, very dear and those that are of almost equally high quality but are little known and thus lack prestige and the attendant high price tag.

The two brands of wine glasses currently competing for the affections of wine lovers are those of Riedel and those of Spiegelau Echtkristall. Austrian based Georg Riedel (the last name rhymes with needle), considered by many to be the undisputed king of crystal glasses, produces glasses in five series and nearly all are remarkably attractive. Glasses in the moderate priced "Overture" series are made by machine and not by hand, but this is not a major drawback, especially when considering their relatively reasonable prices. The series contains four different wine glasses, a Champagne flute and one each appropriate for Port wine or Aperitifs, white wine and red wine each of which sells locally for about NIS 54. Also machine made are the glasses in the recently introduced "Wine Series" and those cost about NIS 67 each. If I have a problem with the glasses in this series it is with their stems which are fluted and curliqued and in my opinion thus lack the clean lines of others of the Riedel glasses.

A step up are the glasses in Riedel's mid-ranged "Vinum" series, which was introduced to the market in 1986. The bowls of these glasses are hand-blown but the stems and bases are machine made. In addition to Brandy snifters, there are 9 glasses in the series, one each for Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Port Wine, Vintage Champagne, and these range in price in the United States from about $10 - 30 each. The top of the Riedel line are the glasses in the Sommelier Series. Completely hand blown and made from almost miraculously thin, ultra-fine crystal, the 24 different glasses in Reidel's Sommelier Series are probably the best wine glasses ever made. The set includes, among others, glasses for Sauterne, Grappa, White Burgundy, Vintage Champagne, Chardonnay, Vintage Port, Burgundy Grand Cru, Bordeaux Grand Cru, Chianti, Barolo, Sherry, Riesling grand cru, Alsatian whites, Cognac, and Martini. Not all of us can afford these exquisite glasses but it should shock none of us to learn that depending on which shape we choose, these mini-masterpieces cost between $60 - 75 each.

The glasses of "Spiegelau Echtkristall" seem clearly modeled after those of Reidel. That the crystal is not of the same extraordinary quality is not in doubt but if the truth be told, these good, even excellent glasses offer a far more reasonably priced option for most people. The Spiegelau glasses come in three series, each of which has five or more different styled glasses. Glasses appropriate for Bordeaux wines in the Palais series cost about $15 each, those in the Vino Grand series about $10 each and those in the Soiree series about $5 - 7 each. After multiple comparative tastings, I cannot help but conclude that (a) if you're going for the higher priced glasses, go Reidel but for everyday drinking, even of fine wines, stay with the lower priced series of Spiegelau. Attractive and comfortable to the hand, these glasses are far less expensive than those of Riedel and, as far as this writers is concerned, the very best value for money available these days. Let's put it this way, break a Riedel Sommeilier glass and you enter a justifiable state of depression for a week. Break of Spiegelau glass and you merely cuss quietly to yourself for a few seconds.

The crystal glasses of several other companies are also offered. The unadorned crystal glasses of Cristofle are of notably high quality but because the best glasses in the series range in price from $50 - 110 each , they seem destined primarily for those with an infinite supply of cash. Those of the prestigious French company Bacarat are even more dear, ranging between $150 - 225 per glass. Among more reasonably priced glasses are those of Italian firm Cantina Arredo, which offer high quality at between $6 - 10; those of Villery & Bosch (at an average of about $25 per glass) and those of Schott Zwiesel that average about $15 each.

Four Tips About Wine Glasses

1. Considering storage problems, expense and simple common sense, no one in their right mind would buy all of the glasses in the series of even their favorite producer. For most people, the ideal arrangement will be glasses designed for Bordeaux wines which are good for all dry red wines; those designed for Chardonnay, which I find best suited to dry whites; special flutes if Champagne is a favorite; and one glass for Cognac, Armagnac or whatever happens to be your favorite brandy (don't hesitate to serve really good whisky in your Cognac glasses). Keep in mind that crystal glasses do break and that those of Riedel and of Spiegelau are the easiest to replace here.
   
   
2. As agreement is almost universal that the best glasses for drinking wine are made from crystal, so do nearly all agree that colored glasses are to be shunned as they rob us of the ability to appreciate the color of the wine we are drinking. I also feel firmly that wine glasses should have no lines or patterns etched or carved in them, such lines causing reflections in the wine and thus changing its color.
   
   
3. In order to best appreciate whatever wine you are drinking, glasses should be as clean as possible. Fine glasses should never be cleaned in a dishwasher, where the detergents leave a coating on the glass which may interfere with the smell or taste of the wine. Glasses should be washed by hand with soap or detergent. Afterwards rinsing the glasses in hot water they should not be drained but filled with clean hot water and emptied only immediately before being dried. Clean linen or cotton dish towels will polish a warm wet glass quickly and perfectly, but will leave unwanted smears and streaks on cold glasses.
   
   
4. When serving several wines at the same meal it will eliminate confusion if each wine has a slightly different glass. Guests should be told that the order of pouring is from left to right (that is to say, the first wine to be drunk should be poured into the left hand glass).

For more hints on cleaning wine glasses and decanters see the following on Stratsplace ...

Glassware

© Daniel Rogov