White wine glass BLACK SERIES COLLECTOR'S EDITION RIESLING GRAND CRU 380 ml, Riedel

Product detailed description

The first series of custom-made glasses for different wine varieties is presented in a brand new guise in 2013. The Riedel factory in Kufstein, Austria, the birthplace of the world-famous Sommeliers glass series, celebrates 40 years. Special collector's editions were created for this occasion. The Black series, black opaque crystal, hand-blown into the most popular glass shapes, is an appropriate way to celebrate such an anniversary.

The crystal turns black by adding cobalt and manganese. For experienced glassblowers, blowing the shape and pulling out the stem is a real challenge, as this mixture cools and solidifies much faster than clear crystal. But to make the task no small challenge, the glassmaking bar is raised even higher with the "R" Black series, where the stem of these glasses contains a very fine red glass string encased in clear crystal. While these series can be used to consume wine, they are primarily intended as works of art to decorate the homes of avid wine collectors.

Stuart Pigott, an English journalist specialising in wine, has achieved his dream. The best Rieslings of the 1990 vintage (excluding dry late harvest) were carefully selected for the world tour.

After chardonnay dominated the perception of the ideal taste of white wine thanks to its spread around the world, journalists in Paris, London and New York had to point out the qualities of Riesling. However, a suitable glass was needed for this.

Riedel sent suggestions from the existing range and the choice fell on a wine glass, originally designed for the sangiovese (Chianti) variety. Pigott and the winegrowers declared this shape ideal after tastings from various glasses. They were particularly impressed by the typical, monotonous intensity of the aroma (peachy), which the Rieslings show in the late harvest in this glass.

Thanks to the high proportion of extracts and alcohol (13 degrees and more), the typical strong acidity is integrated in the fruity aroma. The ovoid shape points to the acidity enough to preserve the nobility and mineral drive. The wine loses breadth and heaviness (high alcohol content) and gains elegance. The many layers of Riesling are thus perceived harmoniously in the mouth.

Glasses Riesling Grand Cru Sommeliers Riedel are recommended for:

• Alsace Grand Cru, Jurancon sec, Spiced Tramin
• Grüner Veltliner, Riesling (late harvest)
• Sémillon, Smaragd (dry late harvest)
• Vouvray

SOMMELIERS series:

Claus Riedel introduced the first series of glasses for connoisseurs in 1973 in Orvieto in collaboration with the Italian Sommeliers Association A.I.S. (Associazione Italiana Sommeliers). The series includes 10 different sizes.

From this moment on, the world of wine has changed fundamentally.

In different regions and on different continents, wines are produced today that did not exist or were completely unknown at the time. Therefore, the development of the Sommeliers series was continued by his son George Riedel until the Sommeliers became an extensive "vitrum-vinoteque" at the highest level of technical development.

In 1991 Robert Parker, editor of Wine Advocate magazine wrote: "The best glasses, both from a technical point of view and from the point of view of maximum enjoyment, are those made by Riedel. The effect that these glasses give to fine wine is truly extraordinary. I can't express enough how much of a difference it makes."

Thanks to worldwide demand, the Sommeliers series is now the absolute top wine glass series and the most successful hand-blown wine glass series in the world. Each glass is made separately: the top is blown in a mould, the stem and base are shaped by hand according to production methods developed in the early 1900s.

The glassmakers use their talents, their skills and care for details are essential to give the Sommeliers series the craftsmanship customers expect. Sommeliers are made of glass with more than 24% lead content.