Sales Rank: 1098


Features:

8-1/4 inches tall; capacity of 24-3/4 ounces

Six glasses with large bowls for full-bodied red wines

Glass design enhances taste of wines such as Pinot Noir, Red Burgundy, and Barbaresco

Machine-made, 24-percent lead crystal

Made in Austria by world's premier wine glass maker

Average Rating:
Rating: - My favorite all-around wine glass
OK, maybe you know that Riedel crafts a separate shape for every variety of wine under the sun - and that this one is designed for Pinot Noir or red Burgundy. As a devoted fan of those wines I can tell you that the glass really does make them taste (and more importantly smell) much finer; letting you truly appreciate the uniquely aromatic character of that grape. So much of the detail rises up from this wide, tapered bowl that they'll "tear a lesser wine apart" to quote some of the literature.

Snobbery aside, I have to say that these are also my favorite all-around wine glasses. I find that the aroma of all my wines is more pleasing to me in these glasses. The bowl is designed to make swirling your wine virtually risk-free, even if you're hovering over (or wearing) something that stains easily while you madly agitate the glass. It also leaves you free to wander through a dinner party or spend a crazed dinner hour chasing the kids around the table, all without worrying that an absent-minded moment will empty your glass and add to the dog's already worrisome drinking problem.

This is the "house glassware" in my house now, as it should be in yours.

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Rating: - Great but be aware they are large
These glasses are, like all the Vinum series, beautiful stemware. The quality is immediately apparent, and the fact that they are crystal means they stay cleaner than glass and don't pick up smells from their contents (and are easier to hand-wash). People have already commented on the shape being so good for tasting reds.

Something that should be mentioned is that the shape and large size, which are designed to allow the aroma of the wine to reach your nose and palate properly and to allow good oxidation, can be misleading. These glasses hold--if you were to fill them-- 24 ounces of wine. Novice vinophile beware! :) I think maybe 1/3 full or less is about right.

Amazon should do a better job making it easy to compare the size of the different Vinum series glasses. If you haven't seen them in person you might get quite a shock if you ordered either these or the Bordeaux (22 oz). The photos make all the glasses appear the same size.

The reason I mention it is that if you aren't going to drink the specific wines these glasses are intended for, you will probably do better with one of the other Vinums as a more general-purpose red glass. (Chianti/Zin, perhaps?) They take up a lot of room. Extremely wonderful for their intended purpose, though...

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Rating: - Great for Pinot Noir and Burgundy Wines
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.

I enjoy both US Pinot Noirs as well as Burgundies, and this is perfect for both. If you're a pinot fan, definitely give these a try!