Riedel Sommeliers Bordeaux Grand Cru, Single Stem

Wonderful, but depends on how much you like wine.
I own a modest set (8 different stems) of Sommelier glasses for my own tasting purposes, and believe that they are worth every penny to me, personally. The quality of the Sommelier stems cannot be emphasized enough - even over the Vinum series.

They are, in every way, extremely delicate. Very thin walls, thin stems, and beautiful craftsmanship. As long as you are careful with them, they will bring your fine wines into a completely new light. They will allow you to intimately taste the wine in perfect balance.

But if you are not a serious wine drinker, stick with the Vinum series. The Vinum series is more than enough. I go to weekly wine tastings at my local wine shop where they serve the wine in cheap ($1 ... maybe) glasses that actually mask the wine's flavors and bring out the harsh qualities while supressing any smells or tastes that would actually allow you to evaluate the wine properly. I started to bring a basic Vinum glass, and the difference was unbelievable...

Great for medium-big reds!
Riedel crystal wine glasses are some of the best you can buy. They are specially designed for drinking wine... Riedel makes many different shapes of crystal glasses for different wine vareitals. If you only buy one type of high-end glass for your red wine, however, this one is a great choice. As part of the Sommelier line, it is oversized, so it really opens up the wine for a fuller nose and body. Not meant for whites, or weak, light wines - use a smaller, tighter glass for that. I use this glass for bordeaux, of course... cabernet, merlot, barolo and occasionally also for pinot noir, sangiovese, a big chianti, or super tuscan. The taste of the wine in this glass is distinctly different compared to other glasses (crystal and glass) that we own and have used.

I had ordered this glass to replace one that had broken. Though these glasses are incredibly well made and not 'thin' and 'delicate' as some can be, they are still fragile and should be handled and washed with utmost...

Very Special Glassware
If you can afford to splurge on a Riedel Sommelier series glass you will never regret it. You simply can't believe how much difference a great glass can make, even on "everyday" wines. IMHO, the Zinfandel Sommelier glass is a good all around shape for the price; the Bordeaux and Burgundy ballon are bigger and therefore better because they have more internal surface area, but they cost more and there super-size makes them somewhat impractical.

Because the crystal is delicate and thin, these clearly are not for the dishwasher and must be handwashed. Be aware also that the Sommelier stems separate from the bowl rather easily if you twist the stem while drying the glass with a towel, which is quite a natural movement. But aside from that issue,which applies to many brands of hand blown crystal these are very special in every way.

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