Preferred Burgundy Glass

[JDavisRoby]

Thanks for the tips guys. I decided to order a Grassl 1855 and Cru to get the chance to test out with different wines and compare.

Some friends and I did that pre-quarantine. We tried 5 wines in 5 different glasses. The shape of the glass change the nose, for sure. But it also changed where the wine hit the palate, which made a huge difference and not always in a good way.

I've started recording the stem in my CT notes, so I can make better wine / stem pairings.

(I need therapy.)

I completely agree with this post! (Except for the therapy part. That I am unqualified to judge but will take your word for it).

Marcus, you use Liberte in your tasting room right? Can’t remember if that is what we used when we were there last September or not. Do you feel the Liberte is good for both your whites and Pinot? I have the 1855 and love them for Bordeaux and Rhône varetials but Pinot Noir doesn’t jump out at me in them like I expected. Debating whether to buy the Liberte like you use in tasting room or go with cru.

[Brian S t o t t e r]

Josh, FWIW, I've been drinking Marcus' pinot noir from Grassl Cru and find they really show well. Haven't used that glass for his whites yet, but they show well in GGG, which has a similar shape as the Grassl Liberte.

[C. Keller]

Could one of you who has the Conterno glasses please post a picture of it next to another glass or two. I'm curious about just how large it is. Because Brad is completely right about Zalto burgs -- I have a several, and all but one of them are in a box somewhere. I like to keep one out to occasionally compare with other glasses -- but I don't use it very often other than that.

I hope it helps..

The Conterno definitely resembles the regular Schott Zweisel Burgundy stems. I have a pair and I use them regularly. Short stem with a sturdy base. And I think they were only $15 a piece.

[JDavisRoby]

Josh, FWIW, I've been drinking Marcus' pinot noir from Grassl Cru and find they really show well. Haven't used that glass for his whites yet, but they show well in GGG, which has a similar shape as the Grassl Liberte.

I have the Grassl tasting glass set which has dimensions very close to Liberte. Didn’t really realize how close they were until looking at the site this morning.

[Sc0tt F!tzger@ld]

We like Zalto burgs for PN and some chards.

[Lee Short]

Could one of you who has the Conterno glasses please post a picture of it next to another glass or two. I'm curious about just how large it is. Because Brad is completely right about Zalto burgs -- I have a several, and all but one of them are in a box somewhere. I like to keep one out to occasionally compare with other glasses -- but I don't use it very often other than that.

I hope it helps..

Thanks! That was indeed helpful.

[JDavisRoby]

Josh, FWIW, I've been drinking Marcus' pinot noir from Grassl Cru and find they really show well. Haven't used that glass for his whites yet, but they show well in GGG, which has a similar shape as the Grassl Liberte.

Exchanged a few emails with Chris today and decided to do the decanter set that includes a couple Liberté stems. He encouraged me to use Liberté for younger wines and Cru for wines with some age.

He also is giving me a great replacement price on a broken 1855. Our 100 lb Lab’s tail whacked it last night while the glass was sitting on a coffee table. Great service from Chris!

[J.Vizuete]

Josh, FWIW, I've been drinking Marcus' pinot noir from Grassl Cru and find they really show well. Haven't used that glass for his whites yet, but they show well in GGG, which has a similar shape as the Grassl Liberte.

I have the Grassl tasting glass set which has dimensions very close to Liberte. Didn’t really realize how close they were until looking at the site this morning.

They are really very similar in bowl size and shape. The liberté is a much more elegant glass, with a taller, thinner stem and lip, but the bowls are nearly identical. The tasting glass is machine blown and quite sturdy. The liberté has become my go-to champagne glass, but I’m going to look into the Zalto white for that purpose as well

[Brian S t o t t e r]

Josh, FWIW, I've been drinking Marcus' pinot noir from Grassl Cru and find they really show well. Haven't used that glass for his whites yet, but they show well in GGG, which has a similar shape as the Grassl Liberte.

I have the Grassl tasting glass set which has dimensions very close to Liberte. Didn’t really realize how close they were until looking at the site this morning.

They are really very similar in bowl size and shape. The liberté is a much more elegant glass, with a taller, thinner stem and lip, but the bowls are nearly identical. The tasting glass is machine blown and quite sturdy. The liberté has become my go-to champagne glass, but I’m going to look into the Zalto white for that purpose as well

You should try champagne in the Grassl Mineralite glass. Bueker turned me onto it.

[J.Vizuete]

I have the Grassl tasting glass set which has dimensions very close to Liberte. Didn’t really realize how close they were until looking at the site this morning.

They are really very similar in bowl size and shape. The liberté is a much more elegant glass, with a taller, thinner stem and lip, but the bowls are nearly identical. The tasting glass is machine blown and quite sturdy. The liberté has become my go-to champagne glass, but I’m going to look into the Zalto white for that purpose as well

You should try champagne in the Grassl Mineralite glass. Bueker turned me onto it.

Thanks for the tip

[Jonathan Favre]

Not sure if it's been mentioned already - but - for me at least, it's looking more and more like the Roberto Conterno Sensory wine glass is superior across the board..... Just my opinion though after a lot of experimentation . Also - I have no financial interest at all - just know that this is a good deal + it serves as an avenue to get help to those in need ---- Rare Wine Co. has this special going which is FABULOUS!!! https://www.rarewineco.com/offers/conte ... t-zwiesel/

[AAgrawal]

Not sure if it's been mentioned already - but - for me at least, it's looking more and more like the Roberto Conterno Sensory wine glass is superior across the board..... Just my opinion though after a lot of experimentation . Also - I have no financial interest at all - just know that this is a good deal + it serves as an avenue to get help to those in need ---- Rare Wine Co. has this special going which is FABULOUS!!! https://www.rarewineco.com/offers/conte ... t-zwiesel/

Interesting, thanks. Which groups of wines have you tried? I've heard of people saying it was better for reds, whites, champagnes, young or old, but I'm curious if this was true for minerally whites such as riesling, or sweet wines such as sauternes. The glasses I'm using for these tend to be smaller/narrower than it looks like the Sensory is.

I don't need any more glasses, but I'm tempted to give it a try.

[Marshall Manning]

Just from the picture it looks a lot like the Riedel OR Pinot glass, although probably higher quality and lighter. How do the two compare?

[Jonathan Favre]

Not sure if it's been mentioned already - but - for me at least, it's looking more and more like the Roberto Conterno Sensory wine glass is superior across the board..... Just my opinion though after a lot of experimentation . Also - I have no financial interest at all - just know that this is a good deal + it serves as an avenue to get help to those in need ---- Rare Wine Co. has this special going which is FABULOUS!!! https://www.rarewineco.com/offers/conte ... t-zwiesel/

Interesting, thanks. Which groups of wines have you tried? I've heard of people saying it was better for reds, whites, champagnes, young or old, but I'm curious if this was true for minerally whites such as riesling, or sweet wines such as sauternes. The glasses I'm using for these tend to be smaller/narrower than it looks like the Sensory is.

I don't need any more glasses, but I'm tempted to give it a try.

Got to sit with Roberto in his tasting room - he talked extensively about these glasses specifically - spent years researching and perfecting them just like everything in his winery. IMPRESSIVE!!! Reds, whites, and even - yep, champagne. The glass is balanced and the bowl seems wider to funnel all of the right scents upwards. I have no idea of the science but the surface area and funneling of scents seems to be maximized..... Sipping a nice barolo with Roberto patiently explaining the benefits of this glass was and is a powerful "infomercial" though .

[Neal.Mollen]

This one?

[Subu Ramachandran]

Does anyone have experience with Zwiesel Air Sense, the one with the bulb in the middle?

[Glenn P]

Robert Parker said a while back that the best glass for the particular wine was the Reidel Sommelier Burgundy glass!

[Anthony C]

I use the Riedel Sommelier Burgundy for Burgs and So Rhones and the Riedel Bordeaux for Bordeaux and No Rhones. I'd like to say that it was through careful analysis, but I just liked the shapes and they were MUCH better than the Sur la Table stemware we'd been using forever. I haven't settled on a white Burg or standard for the various Italians yet.

[Gus Siokis]

We were fortunate to taste with Roberto last year and he had us 'test' his glass versus Zalto Burgs....interesting experience. Later that week, we found them in Alba for around 35 EUR per stem. I should have bought some...oh well. Here are a few pics:

[Blake Brown]

I used to go with the Riedel Sommelier Burgundy Grand Cru stem for most, but it is so big and often I'm only pouring a small amount or on a few occasions, have a wine that can get lost in the large bowl, so I use the Sophienwald Red Wine glass which is designed for Pinot Noir and I prefer this over even the Zaltos. It's hand blown, unleaded cristal, 8 7/8 " tall, 4 1/2 " in diameter, has the capacity volume for 24 oz and weighs 3.9 oz. The paper it came wrapped in weighed more than the stem.

Sophienwald Red Wine {Pinot} glass w/11` Rivers-Marie Summa

Sopheinwald is made in Austria and is still working on making their glasses available in the US on a wide scale basis. I'm fortunate to know about them as a friend has been asked to consult for them to provide guidance for marketing here and their distributor, Adelion, has honored my requests for purchasing and successfully shipped glasses, mostly champagne stems, that I use and adore.

Their champagne glass hits all of the right considerations for me in that it has a wide bowl, a large equator, a large base and long stem. It's size and shape allows for concentrated but expanded aromatics to be experienced as opposed to being relatively muted by a narrow bowl/ flute. This is also true for the taste profile.

Sophienwald Champagne Grand Cru Glass w/Krug 164 eme

Sophienwald Champagne Grand Cru Glass w/NV Billecart-Salmon Rose

Their pricing is in the $50-65 per stem range. Breakage has not been an issue as the stems are flexible, stable with a super wide base and really easy to clean by hand although they advertise they are dishwasher friendly.

[Alan Rath]

We were fortunate to taste with Roberto last year and he had us 'test' his glass versus Zalto Burgs....interesting experience. Later that week, we found them in Alba for around 35 EUR per stem. I should have bought some...oh well. Here are a few pics:

IMG_2641.jpg
IMG_2640.jpg

Which is the glass on the right?

[jordan jacobs]

Anyone know where I can purchase the Conterno Giacomo Sensory here in the US?
Thanks

[Dave McIsaac]

Anyone know where I can purchase the Conterno Giacomo Sensory here in the US?
Thanks

See post #30

[Gus Siokis]

We were fortunate to taste with Roberto last year and he had us 'test' his glass versus Zalto Burgs....interesting experience. Later that week, we found them in Alba for around 35 EUR per stem. I should have bought some...oh well. Here are a few pics:

IMG_2641.jpg
IMG_2640.jpg

Which is the glass on the right?

Zalto Burg - Left and Sensory - Right

[Gary Margol]

I have compared the Zalto, new Schott Zwiesel Vervino and Riedel Restaurant (ouverture) stems and tumblers extensively.
I took measurements using a digital micrometer on the rims and the ranges provided are either due to rim variance for a single stem or due to rim variance when two stems were measured.
In addition, I've taste-tested the full range with many fellow oenophiles (most post here from time to time) who own Zalto and Gabriel, have noted their comments and taken their votes.

I can unequivocally report that the new Vervino is the far and away the winner for quality, rim thinness, durability and price.
And all preferred Vervino's wider foot.

Only one preferred the thinner stems on Gabriel, but commented that between its high breakage rate and cost, he still wanted the Vervino.

Zalto uses lead-free potash glass, replacing calcium with barium.
Schott's Vervino collection uses lead-free potash glass, with titanium for strength and zirconium for clarity and brilliance.
Hope this helps.

Line Product Recommended Usage Ht Oz Rim MM
Zalto
Universal Riesling, Chardonnay, Rose, Chianti 9.25" 18.0 0.63
Bordeaux Bordeaux, Rioja, Brunello, Shiraz 9.5" 26.0 0.81
Burgundy Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Chardonnay, Gruner 9.05" 32.0 0.94-0.98
Champagne 9.5" 7.5 0.87

SZ Vervino
0 Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chianti 8.85" 13.7 0.77-0.81
1 Cabernet, Chablis, Unoaked whites 9.37" 16.5 0.72-0.81
77 Champagne 9" 11.8 0.62-0.76
130 Bordeaux, Syrah 9.64" 25.1 0.74-0.74
140 Burgundy, Oaked Chardonnay 9.29" 32.3 1.01-1.2
145 AllRound (Universal) Beaujolais 9" 23.2 0.71
3 Subwein (sweet) 8.34" 9.8 N/A (not avail in USA)
42 AllRound Long Drink (Universal) Tumbler 4.6" 16.4 0.84-0.92
60 Wasser (Water) Tumbler 3.6" 13.5 1.1-1.2

Riedel Restaurant
Chardonnay 8" 12.4 1.13
Magnum (aka Ouverture) 7.9" 18.6 1.25
Burgundy 8.5" 24.0 1.54
Riedel O
Chardonnay 3.9" 11.3 1.12
Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chianti 0.92
Cabernet 1.16
Cabernet Sauvignon 1.16

[AAgrawal]

I bought a Conterno Sensory glass to try. In the glass right now is a 2004 Felsina Rancia, and I'm comparing it to a Zalto universal.

First: The glass.
The bowl is much flatter on the bottom than I imagined. It's almost like a plate with a glass funnel placed on top. The weight of the glass seems just a bit more than some competitors (Zalto, Grassl). The tradeoff is that when the glass is filled with wine, it feels very balanced. Much less top heavy than the zalto or the grassl.

The wine: Compared to the universal, the wine seems a bit more integrated, while in the Zalto it's a touch crisper. I don't strongly prefer one versus the other. The surface area and the shape of the Conterno glasses seem ideal for aromatic reds. The marketing says they great for everything: Champagne, white burgundy, etc. Not sure about that yet, but they are certainly interesting glasses to try.

Update: Conterno Sensory definitely isn't for all wine. Doesn't work for Madeira, as the large bowl magnifies the alcohol. Not surprising, just reporting what I've found.

[KyleC]

+1 to Blake, while I love my Zalto Universals, for Burgundy, I prefer Sophienwald's red glasses.

[Blake Brown]

+1 to Blake, while I love my Zalto Universals, for Burgundy, I prefer Sophienwald's red glasses.

I'm happy to see at least one other is familiar with the Sophenwald stems. They are a pure pleasure to use and perform beautifully. The Grand Cru champagne glasses are the best of all.

[Joe Chanley]

+1 to Blake, while I love my Zalto Universals, for Burgundy, I prefer Sophienwald's red glasses.

I'm happy to see at least one other is familiar with the Sophenwald stems. They are a pure pleasure to use and perform beautifully. The Grand Cru champagne glasses are the best of all.

We use GGG and the sophienwald red's as well. We were tasting at Beaux Freres a few years back and they were using those stems for their chards/pinots and we bought a 6 pack immediately. Love them. The only one i broke slipped out of my hand to the floor....quite durable.

[Keith Levenberg]

I have compared the Zalto, new Schott Zwiesel Vervino and Riedel Restaurant (ouverture) stems and tumblers extensively.
I took measurements using a digital micrometer on the rims and the ranges provided are either due to rim variance for a single stem or due to rim variance when two stems were measured.
In addition, I've taste-tested the full range with many fellow oenophiles (most post here from time to time) who own Zalto and Gabriel, have noted their comments and taken their votes.

I can unequivocally report that the new Vervino is the far and away the winner for quality, rim thinness, durability and price.
And all preferred Vervino's wider foot.

Only one preferred the thinner stems on Gabriel, but commented that between its high breakage rate and cost, he still wanted the Vervino.

Zalto uses lead-free potash glass, replacing calcium with barium.
Schott's Vervino collection uses lead-free potash glass, with titanium for strength and zirconium for clarity and brilliance.
Hope this helps.

Line Product Recommended Usage Ht Oz Rim MM
Zalto
Universal Riesling, Chardonnay, Rose, Chianti 9.25" 18.0 0.63
Bordeaux Bordeaux, Rioja, Brunello, Shiraz 9.5" 26.0 0.81
Burgundy Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Chardonnay, Gruner 9.05" 32.0 0.94-0.98
Champagne 9.5" 7.5 0.87

SZ Vervino
0 Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chianti 8.85" 13.7 0.77-0.81
1 Cabernet, Chablis, Unoaked whites 9.37" 16.5 0.72-0.81
77 Champagne 9" 11.8 0.62-0.76
130 Bordeaux, Syrah 9.64" 25.1 0.74-0.74
140 Burgundy, Oaked Chardonnay 9.29" 32.3 1.01-1.2
145 AllRound (Universal) Beaujolais 9" 23.2 0.71
3 Subwein (sweet) 8.34" 9.8 N/A (not avail in USA)
42 AllRound Long Drink (Universal) Tumbler 4.6" 16.4 0.84-0.92
60 Wasser (Water) Tumbler 3.6" 13.5 1.1-1.2

Riedel Restaurant
Chardonnay 8" 12.4 1.13
Magnum (aka Ouverture) 7.9" 18.6 1.25
Burgundy 8.5" 24.0 1.54
Riedel O
Chardonnay 3.9" 11.3 1.12
Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chianti 0.92
Cabernet 1.16
Cabernet Sauvignon 1.16

Cool to see you posting here Gary - if I remember right you were one of the first voices out there warning about lead crystal on the old forum and probably saved many of us a few zillion brain cells?

If your measurements on the Vervinos are right, Schott needs better photographers taking their promo pics because what I am seeing of them makes them look a lot more clunky than that. But good to know of this option because I have always been very happy with Schott's glasses and my quest for a Zalto alternative continues.

[Andrew K.]

Update: Conterno Sensory definitely isn't for all wine. Doesn't work for Madeira, as the large bowl magnifies the alcohol. Not surprising, just reporting what I've found.

Agree. I also got two to try. I still prefer the Grassl.

[William Anzalone]

Are Conterno Sensory glasses intended for most wine varietals (ie Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rhone varietals, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, etc)? I know they are primarily a Burgundy glass but I've read many places that they also work extremely well for other varietals.

I purchased 2 and am awaiting delivery (hopefully next week). I'm very curious to try them with all different style wines and grape varietals but am leary of 1 glass that showcases almost all wines better than a specific varietal glass.

[AAgrawal]

Are Conterno Sensory glasses intended for most wine varietals (ie Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rhone varietals, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, etc)? I know they are primarily a Burgundy glass but I've read many places that they also work extremely well for other varietals.

I purchased 2 and am awaiting delivery (hopefully next week). I'm very curious to try them with all different style wines and grape varietals but am leary of 1 glass that showcases almost all wines better than a specific varietal glass.

I believe they were designed for Italian varietals, like for Conterno's wines. (Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, etc.) I do think they are at least as good as Grassl or other glasses for Nebbiolo, though I'm not convinced that the wine necessarily shows better than these other glasses (which are cheaper). I do really like the shape and the balance of the glass, so I enjoy the experience of using it, maybe better than lighter glasses like Zalto and Grassl which can sometimes feel a bit top heavy when a large pour is in the bowl.

I've had good experiences with other wines that enjoy a large bowl, such as white burgundy, Vouvray, etc. I don't think it adds anything to minerally wines (Riesling) or Champagne, and I think it actively detracts from alcoholic wines (Madeira).

Honestly I'm glad I bought 2 Conterno glasses and will continue to use them for aromatic Italian varietals, but I'm also a bit of a glass fiend. (My cabinet currently includes Zalto, Grassl, Jancis Robinson, and Conterno. And a few old Riedels that I never use.) I think anyone who buys only Grassl and nothing else is missing out on very little, especially given Chris's great prices.

[Robert Thornton]

I’m with Charlie and others, pro-Zalto

[Eric Egan]

Like many, I have a bunch of different glasses, and I choose the one that I think will fit the profile of whatever I'm opening. For more structured Burgundy with age, for example, I'll normally use the Riedel Sommelier; for others I'll use the Zalto Gravitas Omega (a marmite glass but I love it), or even the Bordeaux, as mentioned above. That's for drinking. If I'm tasting I prefer to use a standard 215 ISO glass as a control, then something like the Zalto Burgundy or Bordeaux for a more generous perspective.

[Gary Margol]

Thanks for remembering the thread on lead in the old forum.
You've got a great memory!

Funny thing about opinions in forums....

In that thread on lead...I was accused of trying to post the longest running first-time thread ever (Yes, that guess was true) as it was my first thread I posted and figured that this issue would get the eyeballs. It certainly did.

Another forum member wrote that his wines tasted better in leaded glass and that he could tell the difference. Yeah... right... except that lead is odorless and tasteless.

Another forum member stated for a fact that lead was introduced into glass to make it stronger. Nope. Lead is softer than glass and the reason it was first introduced was so the glass could be softened enough to be carved.

In that old forum I posted the research paper (provided to me by the head researcher) on leaded wine glasses and for those who aren't familiar....The research team was the same one hired by WHO that got 76 countries to take lead out of their water, paint, air, gasoline, pipes, solder, and more. When it came to leaded glass, the funding ran out right after the research was completed, and the political will to act on it was lost. The researchers found that lead wine glasses "emoted" lead after only minutes of wine being in the glass. The tests were conducted on old lead glassware run through dishwashers hundreds of times, new lead glassware out the carton, and new glasses run through the dishwasher multiple times. The difference between old/new/washed/unwashed was non-existent in the amount of lead that came off the glass. The reason? Researchers found it was obvious. Leaded glassware is guaranteed to be 23% lead through and through. And researchers found the glass never stops emoting lead. In fact, the more acidic the food or wine, the faster it emotes.

Only CA has a warning about lead in glassware that I'm aware of. Some of you might have seen it in other states, too.

à chacun son goût!

[Ian S]

Hey it's worth it if you believe the glass can change where the wine hits the palate. That swirl might be the difference between the sweet spot and a complete fail.

Greg, we often forgo glasses and use my son's beer bong to speed quaff magnums. Your thoughts?

[Mich@el Ch@ng]

FWIW, I now use the conterno sensory glass for almost everything.

[Andrew K.]

FWIW, I now use the conterno sensory glass for almost everything.

How do you handle the weight? After the Grassl it just feels cumbersome and obtuse.

[C. Keller]

and there doesn't seem to be many sensory around anymore. Rare Wine doesn't even list them on their site.

[Mich@el Ch@ng]

FWIW, I now use the conterno sensory glass for almost everything.

How do you handle the weight? After the Grassl it just feels cumbersome and obtuse.

I like the weight; feels a bit more substantial and easier to handle. Hand feel is much more satisfying.

Crush has them.

[William Anzalone]

I am a recent believer in the Conterno Sensory glass. I originally purchased 2 on pre-order with Rare Wine. They were delivered in July. I've used them almost daily and am very impressed. So impressed,, my wife surprised me and bought 4 more glasses from Rare Wine (delivered last week). I'm sorry to hear that they may be soldout.

The glass displays a beautiful nose for most wines. I've loved Chardonnay's, Pinots and a Barolo out of the glass. I even really enjoyed the glass for young Bordeaux blends.

However, its not great for all wines. I had a 2014 Limerick Lane 1023 (15.2% ABV 52% Zin 45 Syrah 3% Grenache). The nose was off putting out of the Sensory and it didn't taste right. I poured a side by side glass in a Riedel Fatto Mano Old World Syrah glass and the nose and flavor were totally different, as if it was a different wine. The 1023 was more enjoyable out of the Syrah specific glass but all other wines have been preferred out of the Sensory to date.

I also recently purchased 2 Grassl Liberte. They are noticeablely thinner and lighter than the Sensory but the Sensory is lighter than my Riedel Somm Burgundy glasses. I don't own the Grassl Cru glasses but the Sensory glass is weighted really well and feels very comfortable in my hand and when swirling. The stem is shorter than expected but once I got used to the shorter glass, I learned that I really liked how balanced it is.

Thanks for starting this thread, as I only learned about the Sensory glass from this thread and other wine glass threads. Thanks Berserkers for the recommendation.

[Mich@el Ch@ng]

I used to use the grassl cru for everything and I still really like it, just prefer the hand feel of the sensory.

[Anthony C]

An update: since getting an assortment of Grassl glasses, I find myself using the Cru and 1855 (which I got as an accident) more than my Riedel Somms. The Grassls are just lighter and concentrate the nose better. I find myself searching for aromas in the Riedels. I think if I needed more in-glass-decanting, the Somms probably still have value; but the Grassl made me a convert. Even did a multi-glass tasting a week or so ago with a RB-Bdx and the difference was noticeable.

The Sensory looks like a very pretty piece of stemware, though.

[John Morris]

Robert Parker said a while back that the best glass for the particular wine was the Reidel Sommelier Burgundy glass!

Given that no one ever thought he had a handle on Burgundy, I'm not sure what to make of that recommendation!

[John Morris]

Welcome Andrew.

It has been discussed ad nauseum.

You're not missing out on anything if you like the glass. There are partisans for every one.

And some folks really really really pick up profound differences.

Personally, I just don't want it to be chipped or cracked.

Use the glass you like. You'll never know by hearing other opinions so you may want to buy one of those you're curious about and see if it really matters.

I think we have definitively proved the truth of Greg's post four months ago.

[RickieM]

Riedel has a new line of giant glassware, called "Winewings," of which I received the Chardonnay stem for review. It is the one in the middle of the below pics and I thought it was kind of unusual for this to be the "Chardonnay" model since it is so large. They also have ones for Cabernet, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Champagne, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, all of which share the large bowl and odd bumpy sides like you see in the picture (but the indentations or curvatures are slightly different by model).

In the first picture, the Zalto Burgundy (4.80 oz) is on the left, the Winewings Chardonnay (6.20 oz) in the middle, and the Conterno Sensory (4.45 oz) on the right.

In the second picture, the Winewings is flanked on the left by the Grassl Liberte (3.30 oz) and Grassl 1855 (3.85 oz) on the right.

As you can see, it is quite the behemoth glass. Although the glass is thinner than the Riedel Sommelier series, it is still noticeably heavier than the Zalto and Grassl stems so it feels less elegant. I like the way it looks, though. "Performance" wise, I've tried a couple of wines in it so far, a Patrick Piuze 2017 Chablis Terroir de Chichee (since Riedel says this glass is specifically for Chardonnays) and a Patrice Rion 2016 Bourgogne Rouge Bons Batons. Both did quite well. The glass feels balanced, but heavy when compared to the others in the picture and for that reason I'm inclined towards the others but I do like the shape.

The Chardonnay stem is $32.05 at Amazon and the others are around the same price. You can see them here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0855BP5BN (note - this is not any sort of sales pitch, just thought the shape of the glass would be applicable for this thread).

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

So far my favorite is Grassl Cru. I have a couple of the Riedel Sommelier Burgundy stems, and every time I have used them I've found the wide fluted opening to be too wide-open; I never use them anymore, although Marcus's comment about having a good experience with Syrah out of them has me thinking ...

[Ron Slye]

I like the Riedel sommelier burgundy for most ages pinots, and for Nebbiolo. The riedel Syrah is great for Syrah. I have used the latter for southern Rhône too, but could see them and Grenache working well in the riedel burgundy. But now I am concerned about lead in the riedels I have. So may try the sensory for burgundy and Nebbiolo. Everything else I love the grassls. And the grassl is really good with Pinot and Nebbiolo. I just prefer the aroma and taste out of the riedel more often than not.

[Andrew K.]

Although I don't use my Riedel Somm Burg or Conterno Sensory on a regular basis, the one thing I really like about having them available along with the Grassl Cru is that if I wanted to do a multi-flight Burg tasting, I could mix and match.