Wirecutter on stemware...

Some people might have views.

A theory:
Their business model is based on affiliate marketing, taking cuts out of sales from 3rd party sites they send you to. Hence only those major retailers are on their site as they have affiliate relationships with them. Which may thus exclude many other glass models not readily sold on Amazon prime etc.

I do agree on the Gabriel. I have The Perfect Glass now which I love, but the breakage is real… the Gabriel’s are cheaper, thicker and similar aesthetic… at some point when I have no glasses left will probably swap over to the Gabriels.

I have views on Wirecutter in general. They used to be pretty good, but the quality of their picks has gone down hill as they have expanded the range of stuff they review. Also, for my preferences, they bias too much toward good values, rather than the actual best of the best. I’d rather have them tell me the best at any cost and let me decide if it’s worth it (I realize that’s kind of what the “upgrade pick” is supposed to be, but even then they put too much weight on price).

The worst vacuum I ever purchased was the Wirecutter pick. The worst desk lamp I ever purchased was a Wirecutter pick (and after I left a 3-star review on Amazon, I got a series of emails from the manufacturer offering me increasing amounts of money to take it down — to the point that they offered much more than I had paid for the product. I left my review up and reduced it to 1-star).

But I do like my Gabriels.

While I don’t love their picks and the aversion to thin stemware, I do appreciate the focus on “universal” glasses. I’ve moved recently and didn’t take all of my old wine glasses with me. The only varietal/ region specific glasses I have are Zalto Burgundy stems but the Zalto Universals have been so versatile for everything from sparkling to whites to reds. I’m sure a Bordeaux glass will do a little better than a Universal for a Pauillac but I really appreciate the versatility and the fact that I don’t need a million and one glasses when I entertain for varieties I may not drink that often.

You know, I bought a set of those Libbey glasses years ago when they first reviewed it and when I was a resident. My big complaint with them is that they are really tall, like Riedels and don’t fit in some cabinets. The glass is rather thick. That said, they had fantastic aromatics. I used one to drink a 2013 Ramonet Clos de la Boudriotte like 5-6 years ago that first turned me on to chassagne reds. You could certainly do a lot worse.

It seems they disliked the thin stems more than the thin bowls. I personally love my GGG, and Zalto Universals, Bdx and Burg wine glasses, all with very thin stems. To each his own.

Cheers,
Warren

To be honest, as someone who has long been devoted to the Zalto Burgundy stems, I am thinking about switching all of my stemware to Zalto Bordeaux glasses. I find the Burgundy stems are sometimes a bit large to the point of being unwieldy, and the Universals are a bit too small to fully showcase any wine. Also, I really like the idea of having one type of glass for everything I drink.

Sensory

I think Zalto Bordeaux really is the perfect one glass for everything except Champagne. I can’t say I liked writing the check for a set but have no regrets.

The Zalto Bordeaux stems are just a bit too tall for upper rack, but they’re pretty easy to hand wash. The Grassl Crus fit the dw so they get more use. Crus are too narrow to hand dry.

Since they fully integrated into NYT it’s gone downhill in my opinion.

I guess I’d better stock up on GG replacements now.

I think preferences in stems are roughly as much about aesthetics as anything else as long as it’s a decent glass. Note, I’ve happily spent plenty of money on stems.

-Al

Would a $100 USDA Prime Ribeye taste just as good on a paper plate balancing on your lap at a backyard bbq as it would at a white tablecloth steakhouse? In theory, yes. But food and wine is experiential, and I find the same to hold with stemware. If I’m drinking Coors Light and watching football, drinking from a can works just fine. If I’m drinking a grand cru Burgundy or cult cab, I want the full experience down to the stemware.

GGG breakage.

We use GGG at the winery for tastings (I even use them in cellar) and they are our main stem at the house. Over 4-5 years - 3 have broken during tastings, 1 in the house, 1 in my flimsy stem case, and zero in the cellar. Though that might seem high purely for household use, the number of breaks is really really low for what we put them through. I feel people tend to be a bit more careful when using them.

I’m mixed on wirecutter. Some of their recs are ridiculous-$180 for a throw blanket. I do like the shop vac I bought per their rec though.

this is the way. i only have one and it’s my favorite.

Wirecutter/NYT has freshened up their suggestions, as of a few days ago.

I don’t care for their choices, but there is still lots of useful info in the piece.

Sadly, I chipped another SZ when handwashing it today.

I think there should be a WB poll on breakage.

How have you broken the most glassware:

• in the dishwasher
• hand washing/drying
• knocking over on your counter while letting dry*
• putting away

*My #1

E. All of the above.