Wine & Glass Guide! Very Cool

Last week I introduced you to the Nuvo Vino infrared wine thermometer and some really handy tools on their site that teach the importance of wine temperature and proper serving temperature for different wines. I found this site incredibly educational, my wine geek is shining through, and fun. I love sharing with you guys what I’m learning because I am educating you while I am learning myself.

This week I want to introduce another really cool site that in my opinion will come into play at some point in your wine drinking experience. Last week I was out with one of my best gal pal’s, Deb, and while we were sitting at the bar she asked me what the difference was between the different wine glasses. That is a great question which I tried my best to explain not knowing that much myself. This conversation got me thinking and the next day I started researching wine glasses and wine.

As I expected I found a great site and tool to explain and help every wine geek figure out what is what. Even if you don’t entertain but just want some basic knowledge on what wine goes with what glass you will really appreciate and have some fun on this site. Riedel (pronounced “Rhee-dl”) is the finest wine glass company in the world. They’ve been making wine glasses for over 250 years and eleven generations. Riedel has set the standard for delicate glassware with their unique glass blowing techniques. All other glass makers use Riedel as the measuring stick. Riedel has gone to great lengths to create a very comprehensive but simple wine and glass guide based on over 250 years of experience and their unique philosophy.  They have a glass for every wine you could possibly think of and spirits too! Their Wine & Glass Guide is a bookmark must every wine geek should have handy.

It is so simple even a caveman could do it. Simply go to the Wine & Glass Guide and click on the wine you are drinking and up pops several wine glasses to choose from! Some wines have more glass options. I would also like to mention that when I was in California I went to a Target store and to my surprise they had an entire Riedel wine glass display so don’t fret, while these can be expensive glasses they have made a line of more affordable glasses too!

Claus Riedel was the first person in the long history of the glass to design its shape according to the character of the wine. He is thus the inventor of the functional wine glass. He has worked with experienced wine aficionado’s, sommeliers and tasters to determine all that goes into helping bring the best characteristics out of a glass of wine.

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.

Fifty 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, 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.

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. – Wine & Glass Guide

Some other fun & educational links:
Serving Temperatures
Wine Color  Guide
Stages Of Wine Tasting