Wine glass for PN recomendations

[Randy_Bowman]

@Michael Powers

@ron felthoven

@cjsavino

We use these at home a love them, also works well for most traditional Italian wines. They are the Vinum XL Pinot series.

+1 If you don’t want to spend $25/stem, get the restaurant version for about $10. It will get you to 95% of the XL. You’ll need an industry contact or wine shop owner to hook you up.

Riedel’s restaurant line is the way to go.

+3

I’m drinking out of one right now and pretty much every evening. They are very sturdy. Example: We have yet to break one at the store and all our Vinums at home were broken within three years. We never say “Cheers” and clink glasses anymore. That took out four glasses.

[Peter_Petersen]

@J Sullivan

House glass for for PN is the Schott Zwiesel Tritan glass, from either their “Fine” or “Pure” collections IIRC. Super durable and relatively cheap to replace.

Schott Zwiesel Burgundy Tritan and very happy with their performance for Burg, PN, and lighter grenache based wines. However, a quick online check doesn’t bring up the version I have.

[Thomas_K]

+1
alos +1 on Sierra Trading Post coupons…

@cjsavino

We use these at home a love them, also works well for most traditional Italian wines. They are the Vinum XL Pinot series.

[Russ_Williams]

Zalto…period. Once you use one a few times you will never go back. I would recommend getting a burg and a universal and decide which one you like best. For my palate, as the name would suggest, the universal works great for everything I like to drink.

[M_Hudson]

@cjsavino

We use these at home a love them, also works well for most traditional Italian wines. They are the Vinum XL Pinot series.

Been using this glass since day one, love them. Although would like to try a zalto.

[mike_pobega]

So, with some looking into and much help from you all, I think I will lean toward the Zalto Burgundy for one glass and the Spiegelau Hybrid Burgundy Glasses for 6 (guests).
I will head to Crush this week to get one.

Thanks for all of your help.

[Alan_C_h_a_n]

Mike, I just received my Zaltos today and my preliminary test with a 2002 Bourree Gevrey Champeaux turned out this way:

1st place -Zalto burg. Nose is incredibly open, airy, detailed; gives the wine a fine, elegant quality accentuating the light elements and the minerality. On the palate, close call between 1st and 2nd place, and one can certainly argue that the Riedel wins.

2nd place - Riedel Tyrol pinot noir glass. The nose is not quite as expressive in this glass, but there’s an argument that the burg comes across as warmer and more integrated on the nose here. The elements are not as separately discernible in the Riedel. One could look at the Zalto burg as having the clarity of compact disc whereas the Riedel is more like LPs - not as crystal clear but arguably warmer and more organic.

3rd place - Zalto universal. This glass is amazing for Riesling but has a hard time competing with the specialized glasses in the case of this burg.

4th place - Schott Zweisel Tritan Forte burg glass - alas, these durable stalwarts of my collection will be relegated to backup duty now.

Am interested to see how my results will be with good Cali pinot next. Warning: that Zalto burg stem is just the next step down the slippery slope to Mike Poburga, “King Chambertin” and BLONYC.

[S_Reynolds]

@Randy Bowman

+3

I’m drinking out of one right now and pretty much every evening. They are very sturdy. Example: We have yet to break one at the store and all our Vinums at home were broken within three years. We never say “Cheers” and clink glasses anymore. That took out four glasses.

Work out those arms less, Randy. Only time I’ve broken a Vinum is by accidentally whacking it against the sink, never by clinking glasses!

I’d love to get a Zalto for Burgs. Wish I could find them with some sort of discount… might even buy two! (I bought a couple of the Crate and Barrel knockoffs. They are comical looking and too cumbersome–way too tall and big, though the price is great.)

[PaulMills]

We use the Riedel Vinum Extreme and like them, they are light and have a good bowl. I just ordered the Zalto Bordeaux glasses and am going to try them as a pinot glass as a side by site test. I want the Zalto pinots too but not sue if I can get them by my wife.

[Rick_Dyer]

I am also a fan of the Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir glasses. They now call it the Vinum XL pinot noir glass. They also make a Restaurant version which is both sturdier and cheaper. I have been buying the restaurant version for several years now and love them.

[Warren_Taranow]

@Brian Lynch

I agree with Humberto on the Zalto. An inexpensive alternative to the Zalto is a knock off available at Crate and Barrel, but there is no comparison if you try them side by side. So maybe buy 1 Zalto for Mike and 3 Crate and Barrel knockoffs for the friends/ house guests who may come over to taste your burgeoning PN collection.

+1. This is how I went, but I bought six Zalto burgs and a dozen Crate & Barrel Zalto knockoffs. The Zaltos are the best glasses I’ve ever used, and the knockoffs are incredible for the price.

[Erik_G]

Crate and Barrel makes a couple of knockoffs… have you been happy with the burgs or the pinots? The burgs look a little ridiculous, but if you like them, it’d be nice to have something that I wouldn’t be too sorry to have a toddler knock off the table.

[Rick_Dalia]

@G. Bienstock

For a decent and low cost option that won’t cause anxiety when one breaks I like the German PN glass from Cost Plus World Market.

Agree. I use these since my wife LOVES to break stems with her…umm, less than cautious handling of glasses.

[Ralph_Earle]

@Rick Dyer

I am also a fan of the Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir glasses. They now call it the Vinum XL pinot noir glass. They also make a Restaurant version which is both sturdier and cheaper. I have been buying the restaurant version for several years now and love them.

+1, at least with Oregon fruit, e. g., Auteur Shea Vineyard, but not for CA PN.

And 1+ on the restaurant version.

[mike_pobega]

@Alan C h a n

Mike, I just received my Zaltos today and my preliminary test with a 2002 Bourree Gevrey Champeaux turned out this way:

1st place -Zalto burg. Nose is incredibly open, airy, detailed; gives the wine a fine, elegant quality accentuating the light elements and the minerality. On the palate, close call between 1st and 2nd place, and one can certainly argue that the Riedel wins.

2nd place - Riedel Tyrol pinot noir glass. The nose is not quite as expressive in this glass, but there’s an argument that the burg comes across as warmer and more integrated on the nose here. The elements are not as separately discernible in the Riedel. One could look at the Zalto burg as having the clarity of compact disc whereas the Riedel is more like LPs - not as crystal clear but arguably warmer and more organic.

3rd place - Zalto universal. This glass is amazing for Riesling but has a hard time competing with the specialized glasses in the case of this burg.

4th place - Schott Zweisel Tritan Forte burg glass - alas, these durable stalwarts of my collection will be relegated to backup duty now.

Am interested to see how my results will be with good Cali pinot next. Warning: that Zalto burg stem is just the next step down the slippery slope to Mike Poburga, “King Chambertin” and BLONYC.

lol.

[mike_pobega]

@Ralph Earle

@Rick Dyer

I am also a fan of the Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir glasses. They now call it the Vinum XL pinot noir glass. They also make a Restaurant version which is both sturdier and cheaper. I have been buying the restaurant version for several years now and love them.

+1, at least with Oregon fruit, e. g., Auteur Shea Vineyard, but not for CA PN.

And 1+ on the restaurant version.

So good for Oregon Pinot but not for California Pinot?
Interesting.

[C_h_r_i_s_B_e_r_n_s_e_n]

The standard Spieglau burgundy is the best glass, in my opinion for Pinot, Nebbiolo, sangiovese, CNdP, and any number of whites.

[Ralph_Earle]

@mike pobega

@Ralph Earle

@Rick Dyer

I am also a fan of the Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir glasses. They now call it the Vinum XL pinot noir glass. They also make a Restaurant version which is both sturdier and cheaper. I have been buying the restaurant version for several years now and love them.

+1, at least with Oregon fruit, e. g., Auteur Shea Vineyard, but not for CA PN.

And 1+ on the restaurant version.

So good for Oregon Pinot but not for California Pinot?
Interesting.

The upcoming Rhys release prompted this experiment tonight.

Rhys 2009 Horseshoe Pinot Noir

Popped and Poured

Reference glass [American Stemware “Princeton”; acquired in the 1970s, uncanny ability to parse Burgundy communes]: raspberry, tannic, lightweight cola;

Riedel Vinum Extremum: no cola, notable acid;

Riedel Vinum Burgundy: tannic, some black fruit, lean;

Riedel Oregon PN: soft, hollow, tannic, no fruit;

Riedel Sommelier Burgundy: smooth, integrated, resembles a young Savigny-les-Beaune.

20 Minutes after having been splashed and funneled

Reference glass: Pronounced cola, 86;

Vinum Extremum: fuller body, one dimensional, 87+;

Vinum Burgundy: tannic, acidic, no flavor, 84;

Oregon: [accidentally skipped]

Sommelier: comes alive, some strawberry on the edges, some black fruit coming up, grippy [positive] tannins, 88+.


One hour after opening

Reference: nose says “generic CA PN,” worth $20, 85;

Extremum: a bit of “class” but tannic and one-dimensional, 86;

Burgundy: softer, fuller, but non-descript, 87;

Oregon: approaching “lovely” = gentle fruit, but still quite acidic, 88;

Sommelier: absolutely the best glass = soft, gentle tannin and acid, 89

So, on the basis of this experiment, I might be expected to recant a bit, since the Oregon glass did show this wine better than the Extremum, which was developed expressly for CA PN. OTOH, Rhys PN has the reputation for being “Not your [insert personal relationship]’s CA PN.”

[mike_pobega]

My start. Four of these babies on the way. $12.45 each, free ship.

[mike_pobega]

Ralph, after reading your detailed experiment, I think I will skip Pinot and move onto Lambrusco.