I had the pleasure of taking a Riedel class from the owner of James River Cellars, Dr. Mitzi Batterson. If you are interested in learning more about Riedel and how the shape of your wine glass impacts your wine, James River will be offering a class. Check out James River Cellars to grab tickets!
It all started back in 1673 when first generation, Johann Riedel, began traveling around Europe trading glass. The company is now managed by 11th generation, Maximilian Riedel.
Your typical wine glass is made of three parts; the stem, base, and bowl. You hold the stem so you do not warm up your wine. The base gives the glass stability and the bowl allows you to have heightened aromas and flavors.
So Paige, why does shape matter? The short answer is that it maximizes your enjoyment of the wine. Specific grape varietal stemware enhances the four sensations in wine… the bouquet, texture, flavor, and finish.
I tasted several different varietals of wine in several different glasses. We used the Riedel Extreme Oak Chardonnay Glass, Riedel Performance Pinot Noir Glass, the Classic Red and White Restaurant Glasses, and just our normal James River Cellars Glass.
The whole class was experiment based. We had four different wines we would pour into the glasses to smell and taste the differences. It was really eye opening and I learned a ton. I was blown away by how much the glass affected the wine. Our Oak Chardonnay was so much more delicious in the Extreme Oak Chardonnay Glass compared to the White Restaurant Glass and even our James River Cellars Glass.
I am now hooked and want ALL the wine glasses for my personal collection! Do you have a favorite wine glass? I have my eyes on the Pinot glass!
Cheers, Paige
Sips and Trips with Paige 