Riedel syrah glasses... What wines?

[firecooked]

We have a set of Spiegelau bdx glasses, and just recently acquired a set of Riedel Vinum Syrah glasses. We drink a bunch of different varietals of reds. Any guidance on how to best pair a wine with the available stemware? Tonight we tasted a Rioja using one of each.... Can't say I could tell any difference.

[Midlife]

My 2¢? I seriously doubt that 99%+ of wine drinkers would be able to smell or taste the difference between the same wine served in those two glasses. In my experience the subtle differences the glass can make have to do with the size and shape of the glass. These elements can determine how the aromas reach your nose and that influences the taste. These two shapes are way too close for there to be a noticeable difference....... even if you had the sensory ability to distinguish it.................. which is highly unlikely in the first place.

Just enjoy the wine !!!!! ;o]

[Bill Hunt]

Midlife,

I agree with you. We use about 4 different stems for most of our wines.

Now, I have done many stemware tastings, and do find that there can be differences, but after a point, those are very subtle, and might be attributed to the wines, or even the people in the group?

For the Syrah stems, I would think that Cabs, Merlots, Zins, Nebbiolos and similar grapes, would drink well.

Now, I do tend to like my PN's in a balloon, and also my white Burgs in a somewhat similar stem - at first blush, one might think that those are the same, as my PN stems, but there ARE differences. Yet, when in a restaurant, and I have just ordered a big Montrachet, I will ask for a PN "balloon," as that is my "second choice." If the restaurant does have a set of Montrachet stems,so much the better. I just do not want the wine in a small-bowled "white wine" glass.

Hunt

[sedimental]

Bill, I agree....... and as a side note- I prefer ALL my aged wines (especially the real oldies) in a "balloon" - big bowl- shaped glass. It seems to be out of fashion and they are more difficult to come by -outside of my own home :)

I think the balloon shape holds the subtle scents (that older wine gives off) much better and for a longer period of time than other shapes. Very often, in the older French wines, the scent changes soon after decant and then sometimes it fades quickly. This bowl shape allows you to get the most from that glass. I think this is the only shape that I *definitively* notice a difference, more often than not, in the shape of the wine glass (other than champagne). The tiny differences in most of the "esoteric glass shapes" that have a longer, wider mouth, are more of a marketing idea and personal style issue more than anything, IMO.

[Midlife]

My wife now drinks ALL wine in a balloon glass. She just feels she gets more aroma that way. Not for me to question.

[Delucacheesemonger]

While noted a lot of difference in red to white glasses, l use the vinum for all the wines you listed. Maybe bring out the bordeaux sommelier occasionally but not often.

[BillB656]

The balloon is our default for many things, particularly nebbiolo, gamay, older traditional rioja, and Jura whites or somewhat oxidized whites (like Lopez de Heredia).

We have vinum syrah stems but they rarely get used...occasionally pulled out for the older hermitage/st joseph. For younger syrah, I'll use a bdx glass (because they are slightly easier to clean than the deeper syrah bowl).

We drink nearly all of our bubbly (mostly pinot heavy) out of a Montrachet type glass.

As others have said, it really comes down what works best for you...no magic here. 8-)

[ellaystingray]

I fully agree with what both Max and Penthouse are saying. While side-by-side tasting can reveal that certain wines might show better in certain glassware, this is akin to "rich peoples problems" or trying to decide if a Benzo is better than a Beemer. You are already drinking out of good glassware so now you have to start looking introspectively at exactly how much time and money you want to invest in your question. Understanding what it most important to yourself, helps inform your glassware, just like your car. For as much time as Riedel/Speigelau et al have spent crafting their glasses, they still can't account for the countless variations at the winery level let alone how old the wine might be. There are a lot of moving parts here.

AND, Fire, the glasses you are talking about are not markedly different in terms of shape, so figuring out the subtle nuances between the two will be mostly your cross to bear. If I am opening a 1994 Duckhorn 3 Plams merlot I'd have no idea which glass would work best. A 2007 Torbreck "Woodcutters" I think goes in the Syrah glass but I can't be sure. A 2000 Ridge "Lytton Springs"? Mystery. I can confidently say that no sparkling wine goes in these glasses but a Rose might be nice. And let's not even start with decanting...

I would encourage you to enjoy your nice glassware and realize that while the juice may show differently in various glasses, good wine tastes good even out of styrofoam. Yes, I made a Sideways reference and I am not ashamed. ;)

[firecooked]

Rich people problems for sure (my other house has the Riedel cab and Burgandy glasses...). At this point, I really not interested in getting more glassware.. I like the feel of the new Riedel glasses (more delicate), and know that for cabs, I do like the Riedel cab glass over speigaleu bdx. I'm thinking that I just might have to just use the Riedel glasses for everything ;)

[Maximilien]

IMO, even for Bourgogne type of wines, you will not find any significant difference between the different types of wines pairing with different types of glasses.

I have 3 kinds of glasses, a bordeaux tulip kind (a bit like the riedel vinun syrah), a INAO kind and champagne flutes; they serve me well for everything I drink.

[penthouse pup]

I realize that the wine-glass matching is subjective and it's easy to get carried away. There have been many posts about this topic. That said, I own the vinum Carb/Bordeaux, Syrah, Burgundy, Chard., Port glasses along with "bulb" glasses purchased many years ago from Tiffany's which are no longer available. In my experience, Bordeaux do taste better in the vinum Cabernet glass than the vinum Syrah glass. However, not every Syrah or Grenache does well in vinum glasses of the same name: some are better in the Burgundy glass. I have found that northern Rhones go well in the Syrah glasses while CDP often do not (maybe because of the Grenache component.) Some Rioja go well in the cab glasses but most work best for me in the "bulb." Beaujolais go to the "bulb" and rarely to the Burgundy glasses. Sangiovese of mid-price level (not Brunello or high-end types) work best for me in the "bulbs" as well. I know that many people consider Spiegelau cab glasses as good all-arounds but I have not used them.