Crystal Stemware for Wine Aficionados

In the past, luxury stemware preferred by wine drinkers of my father’s generation were fairly thick, ornate, heavily carved, lead crystal glasses. They were produced by companies with a long history such as Baccarat, Moser, Josephinenhütte, Orrefors, Waterford, Cristallerie de Sevres, or Cristalleries Saint Louis, to name but a few of the better European producers.

There were only a few sizes in an average set: water, first wine (white), second wine (red), champagne (flute or coupe), liqueur, tall tumbler (for iced tea or other long drinks), short tumbler for old-fashioned cocktails, and a few beverage-specific glasses like Rhine wine, whiskey, martini, cognac, and sherry. Of course, there were also carafes, water pitchers, and finger bowls. The design was dictated purely by aesthetics, not function.

The cost per stem could be outrageous, especially the hand-carved Bohemian Riesling glasses. However, there were also pressed versions that were less expensive because they were machine mass-produced, not created by specialized artisans by hand.

In general, the glasses looked wonderful. Many times, they were artistic masterpieces, but frankly, they didn’t do much for the contents except showcase the color of a particular wine.

Then, in the late 1950s, Claus Riedel, an Austrian glassmaker with a long family history of quality crystal production, came up with the idea of producing wine-specific glasses that would enhance wine attributes, specifically smell and taste, in addition to the visual color showcasing.

In consultation with other wine connoisseurs and wine aficionados, he designed glasses that concentrated the wine aroma and directed it to the nose, while directing the liquid stream to specific areas of the tongue that would be the most sensitive to the taste of the type of wine for which the glass was designed.

Those stemwares were made of thin lead crystal or, more commonly, very high quality potassium carbonate crystal. The handmade Riedel Sommelier series was launched in 1973, introducing the revolutionary new concept to the wine trade.

His son, Georg, a wine aficionado, further developed Claus’s theories, creating grape-specific glasses and mechanizing the production of fine wine glasses with the Vinum series. This made Riedel glasses far more affordable for oenophiles. His son, Maximilian Riedel, the 11th generation CEO of Riedel, holds frequent seminars that feature and promote these wine-specific glasses, and the series sports as many as 40 or more variations on the theme.

I bring all this history up because I now find wine- or even grape- specific stemware produced not only by Riedel, but also by Schott Zwiesel, Orrefors, Spiegelau, Waterford, Mikasa, and many other manufacturers in practically every restaurant I visit. If the wine list has more than a couple of decent wines, the glasses on the table are thin, wine-specific glasses.

Usually, the table is preset with 3 glasses (water, red wine, and white wine or similar). Once a bottle has been selected, the appropriate glass is brought to the table if it isn’t already present. Also, most of the better restaurants have wine decanters at hand and will decant your wine upon request.

At home, wine lovers now bring out wine-specific glasses with their favorite bottles of Burgundy, Bordeaux, Riesling, Barolo, Prosecco, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, etc., accompanied by the appropriate carafes. And they can be either the thin, modern crystal glasses, or they might be the more elaborate, heavier beauties of the past. 

I personally find these glasses very attractive and reasonably priced. They make great gifts for your favorite wine lover. While the initial designs called for all-clear crystal, there are new designs produced with colored stems that are also making an appearance in the better stores.

To your health!