Review of Riedel Vinum Bordeaux Wine Glasses, Set of 6

I've owned >100 Riedel stems over the years and used them for drinking everything from old Bordeaux to Montrachet to Cal cabs to Port.These glasses (and the Vinum Chardonnay, etc.) are beautiful, work extraordinarily well, and are a pleasure to hold.That said, however, they are also very expensive and don't provide any observable advantages over the equivilent Spiegelau stems (Spiegelau Authentis Collection Bordeaux Wine Glasses, Set of 6) at less than half the price.Spiegelau also has the advantage of being _much_ more durable.

If price is no object, by all means buy the Riedel.However, if your real passion is wine (as opposed to glassware), do what I've done, buy the Spiegelau and spend the difference on a few really nice bottles to lay down in your cellar.

Update: Riedel now owns Spiegelau.Seems like the ultimate complement ... "if you can't beat 'em, buy 'em."

And updated again: I've recently started using the Schott Zwiesel Diva Tritan Crystal Cabernet/Merlot/Bordeaux Wine Glasses Set of 6 series glasses (also available on Amazon).They look as nice, and work as well, as the Riedel and Spiegelau but have the added advantage of being cheaper (than Riedel) and almost unbreakaable.My new favorite.

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Product Description:
What can we learn from a Riedel (rhymes with "needle") glass? That size matters, as does shape? That form following function has meaning for wine-lovers as well as designers? Or perhaps the deeper lesson that the contents of an outwardly "plain" glass may provide a more sensual, complex, and rewarding experience than those of a superficially beautiful one? The Austrian Riedel family has been involved with glass-making since 1756, but it was two centuries later that Claus Riedel conceptualized a glass made specifically to enhance the flavors and aromas of a designated wine. Through an involved process each style of glass is crafted to accentuate the strengths, while minimizing the weaknesses, of a particular spirit. This is done through changes in the size and shape of the bowl, the diameter of the opening and the cut and polished lip which directs the wine towards a specific area of the tongue. Small wonder Riedel stems are preferred by sommeliers and oenophiles world wide for their ability to transform the perception of a wine.

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