Revolutionary Stemware- Vino2

Revolutionary Stemware

“Vino2 wine glasses have been strategically designed to allow your wine to “breath” in a minimal amount of time. As you swirl the glass, its patented “notch” will break the wine, fully aerating it before it reaches your palate.”

See the following web-site tasteofpurple.com/Glass.html

What do you guys think?

Salute

Strange. Looks like it would just produce a lop-sided glass. Not a very informative web site, is it?

Isn't there already something called "Le Impitoyable" made by Riedel?

Also, there is new research that suggests that wine glass shape really doesn't have a very big effect on the wine appreciation experience. Check this out: http://www.aromadictionary.com/articles/wineglass_article.html

That looks like an interesting article(just took a glance though). The xperts will be here shortly!!!! I have read quite a few articles to the contrary but have no real experience with Riedel whatever. I am happy with my stash of glasses but sometimes wonder about having a couple around?

[Robin Garr]

Isn't there already something called "Le Impitoyable" made by Riedel?

Actually, Les Impitoyables (a French glassware firm) preceded Riedel in the wine-geek market. They came out with the first commercial line of expensive wine glasses purportedly tailored to deliver the flavors of specific wines, back iin the 1980s. I got to play with a set for review, but had to send them back, dammit! They were much more over-the-top than Riedels, odd shapes that evoked a feeling of chemistry set beakers and flasks - just four, as I recall - one each for whites, young reds, old reds and bubblies, plus a stemless 'mini-taster' - believe it or not, I still use the latter regularly for all my analytical tasting.

Also, there is new research that suggests that wine glass shape really doesn't have a very big effect on the wine appreciation experience. Check this out: http://www.aromadictionary.com/articles/wineglass_article.html

Very interesting! Thanks for pointing to that, Dave. It strongly substantiates my experience (based mostly on comparing Riedels and INAO glasses to the Impitoyables mini-taster in everyday use): The glass-for-each-variety theory is a myth, but (1) A small opening to large bowl ratio definitely concentrates the aromas of all wines, and (2) thin, quality crystal provides a feeling of delicacy and luxury that, for most of us, enhances the fine-wine experience through a general appeal to the senses, even if it doesn't demonstrably change the aroma or flavor of the wine.

Also, there is new research that suggests that wine glass shape really doesn't have a very big effect on the wine appreciation experience. Check this out: http://www.aromadictionary.com/articles/wineglass_article.html

Dave,
I think this is intuitively correct and agrees with my experience in tasting wine. Small glasses are difficult to coax aromas out so a larger glass makes a difference. Big glasses with smaller openings, usually made for whites, don't seem to work but all the different glasses made are spelled "marketing". My choice is a reasonalbly large bowl, a relatively large opeing, and if possible, able to go in the dishwasher. Take a $35 glass and a $5 glass close in size and try to determine the difference. There are a lot of good glasses made that do not cost an arm and a leg and do not make you feel so bad if one breaks. I also dislike the really large riedels, as your wine takes up the bottom 5% of the glass and creates temperature problems, IMHO.
Walt

[Robin Garr]

Big glasses with smaller openings, usually made for whites, don't seem to work ... My choice is a reasonalbly large bowl, a relatively large opening ...

That's slightly counter to Finding No. 3 of the Australian study, though, Walt, which also conforms to my experience with the Impitoyable mini-taster:

<i>3. Total intensity of aroma was highly correlated with the ratio of the glass's cup diameter to the diameter of its opening.</i>

Restated, a relatively large bowl with a relatively narrow opening seems to capture and concentrate the aromas.

But the Riedel hypothesis that every variety requires a different glass shape has never really persuaded me.

a stemless 'mini-taster' - believe it or not, I still use the latter regularly for all my analytical tasting.

That's the one I'm thinking of! Odd-shaped little fella. I think they're very useful, although I know people who think they create a "caricature" (their word, not mine!) of the wine under scrutiny.

And for anyone who doesn't already know: "Impitoyable" translates literally as "pitiless" although I've also heard it called "Incorruptible."

[Robin Garr]

And for anyone who doesn't already know: "Impitoyable" translates literally as "pitiless" although I've also heard it called "Incorruptible."

Pitiless it is, and the original marketing very specifically argued that the glasses did not necessarily "improve" wines but amplified the wine's characteristics for better or for worse.

I don't buy the "caricature" argument, but then, I've been using the mini-tasters for most of my published tastings for, wow, something like 20 years now, and I frequently calibrate against an INAO glass or middle-of-the-road Riedel like the Chianti glass. I find the mini-taster is like turning the volume control up a little bit, but it doesn't really change the nature of the wine. My notes would be similar from either glass, it's just easier to pick out the details with the little guy.

Oh, by the way, I don't know if this is still true, but when I wrote my article (I was wine columnist at <I>The Louisville Times</i> at the time), I interviewed Parker about them ... he wasn't very famous at the time but was just starting to get some national attention ... this must have been 1984 or 1985 - and he told me he used the mini-taster for all his tastings and ordered them in 24-unit cartons. I wonder if he still does ... kind of doubt it.

Big glasses with smaller openings, usually made for whites, don't seem to work ... My choice is a reasonalbly large bowl, a relatively large opening ...

That's slightly counter to Finding No. 3 of the Australian study, though, Walt, which also conforms to my experience with the Impitoyable mini-taster:

<i>3. Total intensity of aroma was highly correlated with the ratio of the glass's cup diameter to the diameter of its opening.</i>

Robin,
We drank an obscene amount of wine over the July 4th holiday and at one wine geek friends house we tasted using large Riedel glasses (not the huge ones). As the night wore on he brought out what I think is their white wine glass, similar in shape to the INAO but much larger. It had a nice bowl but an approx 2" to 2 1/2" opening. IMO the height to bowl width was too big and the opeing too small. It may focus the aroma but you can't get your nose in for a good whiff. I really did not like it but guess it depends on whether a machine is doing your smelling or a persons nose. I tend to taste all of my wine in Riedel red overtures since they go in the dish washer and have a decent size bowl. Would like something about 2-4oz bigger but don't like hand washing after tastings with 12 people and 4 glasses each.

Walt

[Robin Garr]

We drank an obscene amount of wine over the July 4th holiday and at one wine geek friends house we tasted using large Riedel glasses (not the huge ones). As the night wore on he brought out what I think is their white wine glass, similar in shape to the INAO but much larger. It had a nice bowl but an approx 2" to 2 1/2" opening. IMO the height to bowl width was too big and the opeing too small. It may focus the aroma but you can't get your nose in for a good whiff.

Makes sense, Walt. Comfort is certainly an important variable, too.

Bottom line, we're pretty much wrestling over how many angels can dance on the head of a pin here ... but I'm stickin' to the story that Riedel's theory about a separate glass for every variety goes far beyond any reasonable need.

They LOOK cool and as a sales strategy it isn't bad but I am not rushing out to buy a bunch.

We use specific Reidels for 'wine and dine' and knock offs for big tastings (decent 500ml glasses).

I LOVE the Reidel big bowl (especially the Burg glasses) but I don't know how much of that is how much I like the look and feel as opposed to how the glasses present the wine.

Like Neil when I first saw the picture of the Vino2 stemware, I thought to myself what a “weird” design. The glass must feel “out of balance” especially when swirling. Yes the web-site could have been more informative. But overall the concept is pretty neat.

Salute