Customer Reviews

Riedel Vinum Chardonnay/Chablis Wine Glasses, Set of 6

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4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This was one of the first Riedel glasses I bought. I've done many, many tests on how wine tastes differently in various glass options and in different situations. Riedel is one of the tests that is easy for even beginning drinkers to see the difference in. The flavor is *amazingly* different when you compare the exact same wine in a Riedel glass vs normal wine glasses.

Even if you buy inexpensive wines, you will get much more enjoyment out of them with this glassware compared to other options. If you are buying mid-range wines, the difference will blow you away. Think of the Riedel glass as allowing you to see what the wine in your bottle *really* was meant to taste like.

This is a great first glass for white wine drinkers to buy, because it is fantastic for Chardonnays of all price ranges. In addition, you can use the Chardonnay glass for a number of other white wine types, and find it greatly enhances the flavor for them all. If you're a white wine fan, definitely give these a try!

If you only want one shape of glass, the Chablis/Chardonnay glass is the perfect choice. It's extremely well balanced, and the shape is well suited to swirling a full serving and evaluating the "nose". The lip is thin and the opening is relatively wide at the top, requiring less tipping back to drink than the narrower mouthed glasses, such as the zinfandel/chianti/riesling glass. These glasses are also less huge and seem less out of place with your average sized cutlery and plates than the syrah, cabernet or pinot noir glasses. The more rounded, narrower-mouthed zin/chianti/riesling glass (Riedel 416/15) is another good all around choice. I would not recommended Riedel's so-called "gourmet glass", the stems of which are far too short.

I dislike the largish etched logo, which Riedel puts on the feet of their glasses. I'd rather just enjoy my wine.

Like all other high lead content crystal, be careful when washing these. Any kind of abrasive sponge or grit will scratch them.

They are big, you have to be careful washing them because they are easy to break, but they are the best glasses for enjoying wine I have ever used. I like chardonnay and the zinfandel glass the best for general use because they hold an appropriate amount of wine when filled to about 1/3 of their volume.

It is clear to me that these glasses do make a real difference. They make a difference in smell, taste and touch. Seeing that much of wine tasting IS the smell (not just when smelling, but also when drinking), it is no surprise that a different smell leads to a different "taste".

As for taste, when drinking, this type of glass does flow the wine more directly on the tongue, which also leads to a different initial taste (which is one reason to move the wine around). However, the initial taste is more pronounced on the drinking experience.

The fine lip is nice -- not too thin so that you worry about chipping it and swallowing glass pieces, like some of our fine crystal, and not so wide that you think you are biting on a block of wood. The texture is nice, too.

However, I find it harder to swish the wine in these glasses. They seem a bit top-heavy when swishing (but are finely balanced for drinking). It has an advantage of rising on the glass walls and leaving tears for analysis, but I would rather have a more balanced swish so that I can smell it better.

We use a mix of glass types and, depending on the approach (e.g., simple enjoyment or more analytical), will choose the glass accordingly. Still, there is no argument that these glasses make a real difference.

I had heard that the shape of Riedel wine glasses enabled one to maximize the "nose" of a wine. How very true! I was amazed how much more of the wine's bouquet was immediately noticeable with these glasses. And, they feel great in your hands. I highly recommend them for wine enthusiasts.

I visited Tulsa Chef Fest 2002 in November and attended a Riedel conducted seminar sampling a series of wines from around the world. I was skeptical but after the seminar I am rabid convert preaching the word. The effect of these glasses on wine is simply amazing. In the subsequent couple of weeks my wife and I purchased several of the Vinum series - "Bordeaux", "Chablis" (Chardonnay), "Sauvignon Blanc" and "Syrah". We will be adding more in time. The Syrah glasses are particular effective at concentrating the nose of the Australian and South African wines we have already enjoyed. Your satisfaction is guaranteed and the price, even at full retail, is worth every penny for the years you will enjoy with this superb glassware.

This wine glass is great for several reasons. First of all, it is very light. Second, you know how much wine to pour (pour to the widest point in the bowl and that is a "glass" of wine). The balance of the glass is good. We also have the burgundy wine glass; however my wife prefers her red wine in the chardonnay glass because she doesn't like to hold the big burgundy glass. If you are only going to purchase one type of wine glass, I would recommend this one.

I am not an oenophile and actually prefer the sweet wines. However, these glasses have helped me appeciate the dryer whites better. The tastes seems to be more complex and I no longer focus on the dryness of the wine.
The glasses themselves are beautiful. They look very delicate but have thus far survived multiple dinners and hand-washings. I received many compliments on them.
These glasses have helped this novice appreciate a wider range of white wines. They are expensive and I feel my heart race whenever anyone brushes too close to them. But they are worth the money.

As an "insider" in the wine industry, I always get a supreme chuckle from the self-important neophytes who come into their newfound love affair with wine SWEARING that Riedel makes wine taste "different" or the way its "supposed to taste".....<chuckle>....Georg Riedel has made a large fortune of the gullibility of eonophiles desiring to impress their beer-swilling neighbors.

Look, if this glass is scientifically calibrated for Chardonnay, then tell me why competing glass manufacturers sell Chardonnay glasses with differing shapes??? The answer is that after you shell out for Riedel, you'll do ANYTHING to convince yourself that the glasses "improve" the wine. Independent studies, however, have shown (even among skilled tasters/reviewers) that the shape of a glass influences the nose of the wine by narrowing the aperture, thereby focusing the smells. However, the taste is not affected - the wine does not preferentially spill onto different parts of your palate because of the shape of the bowl! Think about it, you're always going to pour the wine onto the same part of your tongue! Get a couple of different shaped glasses, pour water out of them and watch!

Save your money and buy some durable all-purpose glasses (the kind ours, or any other winery pours from in their tasting room!)

What's not to like? Set of replacement glasses for confirmed white wine drinkers. Order delivered as promised in perfect condition.