Going into the kitchen and dining section of a department store is for me what jewellery shopping is for some women. Let’s look at glasses, in particular wine glasses. I understand that not everyone may want to invest a whole heap of well earned bucks in glasses. Well, I think I understand. But it isn’t until you drink a decent wine out of a really good glass that you realize that paying a little more makes a huge difference. A few years ago, the husband and I decided to treat ourselves to lunch at the Zodiac Grill. Lunch was then at a fixed price, for either 2 or three courses. As we entered, we were given a glass of champagne as a welcome drink. “They’ve gone all out with the champagne”, I whispered to him. He agreed. It definitely tasted like Moet & Chandon or another equally well known French champagne. But it couldn’t be, surely…not as a welcome drink on a fixed price lunch. We argued a bit and asked the Maitre D. It was Marquise de Pompadour by Chateau Indage (a great Methode Champenoise sparkling but nevertheless not a French champagne) and the glass was Riedel. It was only then did I realize what kind of earth shattering difference a glass makes to a wine.

There are today plenty of wine glasses in the market, all with similar shapes, nice big bowls and thin stems. But it was Professor Claus Riedel, whose family had a trademark in Bohemian glassware, who recognized that the bouquet, taste, balance and finish of wines are affected by the shape of the glass. Wine glasses were, until he revolutionised the design of glassware, a single basic shape in different sizes. Then blown, unadorned elegance was the trademark of the first Riedel catalogue in 1961. The top of the line in Riedel glassware is the Sommeliers, brought out in the early 70’s and made from lead crystal, mouth blown and hand-made. The Rolls Royce of glassware and perfect if you are drinking really fine French wines! The second range down, which is my personal favourite, is the Vinum Extreme. These are lead crystal, and machine made but the shapes, with more stark straight lines and less curvy rounds, suit today’s wine drinking. They then came up in the 80’s with Vinum, which was based on the characteristics of grape varietals. These are surprisingly affordable. Since then, the more commercial ranges introduced are “Wine”, with decorative stems and Vinum’s bowls and “Ouverture”, very easy for first timers (they come in red wine, white wine etc). Both are non lead and machine made but they still have that amazing design and familiar Riedel shapes.

A few years Ago, Maximilian, Claus’s grandson, introduced the Riedel “Tumbler”, stem less glasses which look like large whisky goblets and which respond to today’s practical needs. They are dishwasher friendly and take up less space. They are also half the price of Vinum. I drank some quite good wines out of them last year and I don’t know if I am convinced, although I know International wine writers who swear by them. Call me conventional or a romantic or both. I like a wine glass with a thin stem, preferably Riedel.