Bouquet: Grape varietal specific stemware is responsible for delivering the quality and intensity of the wine’s aroma.
Texture: Grape varietal specific stemware highlightsthe exciting and diverse styles of "mouthfeel" in wine (watery, creamy, silky, velvety).
Taste: Grape varietal specific stemware creates a balanced interaction between the fruit, minerality, acidity and bitter components of a wine.
Flavor: Grape varietal specific stemware offers a pleasant, seamless, harmonious, and long lasting aftertaste.
The colours of the wine can vary strongly depending on age, concentration and winemaking techniques. The grapes and wines below often, but not always, exhibit the listed colours. Generally speaking, younger red wines tend to be violet and purple in colour, while more mature red wines tend to be a rich garnet colour.
White Wine
Grayish Yellow
Pinot Grigio
Greenish Yellow
Sauvignon Blanc
Pale Yellow
Colombard, Grüner Veltliner
Lemon Yellow
Riesling, Gewürztraminer
Light Gold
Chenin Blanc
Golden Yellow
Chardonnay, Viognier, Sémillion
Gold
Dessert wines
Brownish Yellow
Sherry, mature White Burgundy
Amber
Vin Santo, Tokaji
Brown
Malaga, Marsala
Rosé Wine
Onion Sky
Rosé Champagne
Salmon
Rosé Syrah
Raspberry
Rosé Grenache, White Zinfandel
Red Wine
Cooper
Aged Grenache
Brick Red
Mature Pinot Noir, aged Bordeaux
Garnet
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Nebbiolo
Ruby
Young Pinot Noir, Tempranillo
Cherry
Sangiovese, Zinfandel
Purple
Barbera, Amarone
Blackish Red
Shiraz, Vintage Port
Aromas imparted by the grapes
These aromas derive directly from the grapes; immediately after bottling, they typically dominate the flavor of the young wine. Eventually, these fruit aromas give way to or are complemented by mature aromas.
Aromas imparted by bottle age
New aroma structures develop over time as the wine matures in the bottle, thereby enriching the mature wine’s flavor. Mature aromas start to dominate after the wine has peaked and can eventually cause the wine to seem tired. Some wines do not age well and should be drunk when young.
Aromas imparted by vinification
The winemaker can heavily influence the wine’s flavor by the use of steel tanks, wooden casks or barriques (small wood barrels). This is dependent on the intensity of the use, the age of the wine, and the level of the toasting (roasting of wood barrels over fire). Various aromas from vanilla to caramel may be imparted to the wine. Furthermore, stirring of the yeast cells may impart yeasty or buttery aromas. These vinification aromas can become either complementary or dominant in the finished wine.
Take a sip and keep it in your mouth. Pay attention to the wine’s initial impact, mouthfeel and finish. To intensify the tasting you can chew the wine (causing the tannins to emerge) or you can take in some air with your lips slightly open (causing sealed aromas to open up). Again, the aroma wheel can help you in identifying the wine’s aromas. Should you taste a series of wines, spit the samples out (this reduces the negative effect the alcohol has on your tasting abilities). To neutralize your palate you can simply drink some water. Do not eat any bread while tasting wine since this will significantly affect your sense of taste.
• Glass hygiene: Serve beverages only in sparkling, clean, odorless glasses.
• Temperature: Do not over-chill white wines and sparkling wines; serve red wines below room temperature.
• Serving/glass: Maximum 3 to 5 oz/100 to 125 ml. Never over-pour the glass.
• The ample, gracious glass volume offers great wines the room to breathe and to express the
unique message of the aroma.
Great, full-bodied red wines
Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel
Full-bodied red wines
Syrah, Barbaresco, Vintage Port
Great red wines
Burgundy, Pinot Noir, Rioja, Pinotage
Medium-bodied red wines
Merlot, Chianti, Barbera
Full-bodied red wines
Sherry, Vin Santo, Port
Light-bodied red wines
Beaujolais, Gamay, Cotes-du-Rhone, Dolcetto
Full-bodied white wines
Burgundy, Chardonnay, Bordeaux
Medium-bodied white wines
Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Soave
Rosé and light-bodied white wines
White Zinfandel, Pinot Grigio, Colombard
Sparkling wines
Vintage Champagne
Dessert wines
Late harvest wine, Sauternes, Ice wine
Basic sparkling wines
Prosecco, Cava, Lambrusco, Champagne
The design (architecture or construction) of a stemmed glass must ensure that the size, height and width are in perfect harmony. The size of the bowl has to be in proportion to the height of the stem and the width of the base. Respecting the exact ratio between these dimensions ensures the glass is correctly and seamlessly proportioned. Table top "classics" are composed using the magic "golden architectural formula". Early glass architecture, around 1920, took the lead, spearheaded by three Viennese architects (Loos, Hoffmann, Ertl). Claus J. Riedel‘s designs from the late 1950‘s, re-established and took on this concept, which combined with influence from French and Irish classics resulted in stemware featuring this "construction", which is so pleasing to the eye.
RIEDEL offers both "varietal specific" glasses for wine enthusiasts and "wine friendly" glasses for more casual wine drinkers.
Use stemmed glassware for fine dining and stemless for casual dining.
BASED ON THIS PRINCIPAL, RIEDEL INTRODUCED THE CONCEPT OF GRAPE-SPECIFIC GLASSWARE.
Two flavor contributors: floral white wines – aroma and taste are dominated by fermented grape juice and the flavor of yeast.
RIESLING GRAND CRU
(13-3/8 oz, 380 ccm)
Three flavor contributors: oak-aged white wines – aroma and taste are dominated by fermented grape juice, the flavor of yeast, and oak influence (malolactic fermentation, gentle wood flavors combined with ageing and
aeration).
MONTRACHET/CHARDONNAY
(18-3/8 oz, 520 ccm)
Four flavor contributors: oakaged red wines – aroma and taste are dominated by fermented grape juice, the flavor of yeast, maceration (fermentation of the skin and juice) and oak influence (malolactic fermentation, gentle wood flavors combined with ageing and aeration).
CABERNET
(30-3/8 oz, 860 ccm)
The three most versatile shapes for red and white wines are the OUVERTURE Doublemagnum, OUVERTURE Magnum and the VINUM Riesling Grand Cru, but please remember: shape does matter for maximum intensityand total enjoyment of wine.
The RIEDEL TRADEMARK dates from the Art Nouveau period at the end of the nineteenth century, and was used for RIEDEL glassware made in Bohemia from 1890 to 1925. In 1996, to commemorate RIEDEL’S 240th anniversary, we reintroduced this trademark for all our hand-made products.
The distinctive Riedel signature is now featured on the base of all these products. This signature trademark (1) helps our customers to distinguish immediately between hand-made products and those made by machine (2).
Our machine-made products carry this trademark. The RIEDEL glass dynasty is built on the creative energies of a long line of glassmakers. The story begins in 1756 in Bohemia and continues right down to the united Europe of today, taking in on the way some of the most dramatic events in European history.
