My first experience with Riedel glasses was when I was shopping for a 30th birthday gift for a friend of mine. I was at a large department store, and since we love to get together over a bottle of our favourite wine, I thought glasses would be appropriate. The very helpful saleslady brought me over to the Riedel display and started to go into details about the glasses, the company, and why they are so amazing. So let me do the same:

Quoted from the Riedel Canada website:

“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. Make a journey through our world of glasses and senses.”

That’s great, but what does it mean?

Well, firstly there is a glass for every type of wine under the sun. Seriously! Not every wine is meant to be drank from a champagne flute or a brandy-style snifter, and the master crafters at Riedel know this. They have spent decades perfecting their glasses to ensure the best for wine-drinkers around the world. Riedel glasses are weighted and shaped to allow the best flavours of each type of wine come through. Different wines need to breathe differently, just as they are recommended to be served at specific temperatures. The Riedel glasses are shaped according to type of wine as well as sized according to flavour. You may have noticed that the more full-bodied red wines are often served in larger glasses than a less full-bodied wine. This is because different wines need to breathe more than other wines. The shape of the glass is also designed to send the wine to the best part of your mouth for you to taste it best. See… size matters!

Secondly, decanters matter! As a wine ages, it is normal for solids to form in the bottle. By decanting the wine, you not only allow the wine to breathe properly, but you also allow the sediment to settle nicely at the bottom. Like the wine glasses, the decanters too, are specific to wine type. Again, a more full-bodied wine would be served in a different shape with a larger “bell” or bottom than of a different body. Not to mention, it’s far nicer to serve wine in a glass container than from the box on the counter! (I can’t be the only one!)

And  what can we do for you?

The owners and staff of Kootenay Outoor Living have experience using the Riedel glassware, and are more than happy to assist you with your questions and shopping needs. We carry several different lines of Riedel glasses and decanters, as well as whiskey glasses and beer glasses. We also have access to the entire Riedel catalogue so if there is something you are looking for that we don’t have, we’ll be happy to find it for you!

~Llora

For more information please visit www.riedel.com.