A few years ago we attended a wine tasting demonstration of Riedel stemware. At the time a staff member of Inniskillin in Canada conducted the demonstration. We were anxious to see how a presentation by a Riedel representative would stack up.

Recently at the IFWTWA Conference, Thomas Leman from Riedel USA demonstrated the wine tasting using four Riedel glasses, one “joker” glass, two white and two red wines. Thomas was excellent in his presentation as it was educational and at time humorous. As the presentation continued Thomas easily answered numerous questions. For a detailed description and photos of the event read Riedel Wine Tasting – Clever Marketing or Do the Glasses Make a Difference?

In 1958 Riedel entered into the world of creating varietal wine glasses. Today over 90 percent of the wine tasting rooms in Sonoma and Napa Valley use Riedel stemware. The stemware is designed with the idea of the correct placement of wine on the tongue to discover the nuances of the wine. A few years ago Riedel produced an Oregon Pinot Noir wine glass. Others and I believe this particular glass is wonderful for enjoying Pinot Noir.

Overall I believe that if possible wine tastings should take place with quality stemware. No matter what brand you choose, look for stemware with a bowl large enough for swirling, good balance, and a thin lip.

Cheers! Kathy