When requested if he would drink Champagne out of a plastic glass if trapped on a bus in a snow storm, Georg Riedel, Proprietor of Riedel Wine Glass Firm, shortly responded, “Sure, I might open the bottle, pour it into plastic glasses and share it with everybody on the bus. Nothing in life is best than sharing.”
This response clearly highlights the values of Georg Riedel, and the hope that the 423 various kinds of glasses and carafes obtainable on his web site shall be utilized in celebrations with family and friends. Born in Austria, Riedel is the tenth technology of a 265 yr outdated household enterprise that crafts top quality stemware. After serving as CEO of Riedel for 20 years, Riedel’s son, Maximilian Riedel, took over as CEO in 2014. Right this moment the corporate produces not solely wine and Champagne glasses, however beer, spirits, and cocktail glasses as properly.
Talking by cellphone from his winter residence in Arizona, Riedel shared some insights into what kind of glass to make use of to drink bubbles for New Yr’s Eve, in addition to the evolution of the Champagne glass. He talked about that this recommendation applies to all forms of bubbles, together with Prosecco, Cava, German Sekt, Cremant, Franciacorta, and glowing wines from the U.S. and different nations, together with Champagne from France.
Georg Riedel, Proprietor of Riedel Stemware with son, Maximilian Riedel, CEO
Florian Lechner Voels 2021
The Evolution of the Champagne Glass – From Coupe to Flute to Wine Glass
The Coupe – Based on Christie’s World Encyclopedia of Champagne and Glowing Wine, the Champagne coupe, formed like a shallow bowl with a stem, was developed within the mid 1600’s by Venetian glass makers. It grew to become fairly common within the court docket of French king Louis XV within the 1700’s, and a rumor developed that its form was based mostly on the breast of Marie Antoinette. Different tales insist that Helen of Troy was the breast mannequin for the glass, as a result of breast-shaped cups (and not using a stem) have been common with the traditional Greeks. Sadly there isn’t any laborious proof for both rumor, however there’s a rather more sensible purpose for adopting the coupe at the moment.
“Champagne was initially very candy and had sediment,” defined Riedel. Subsequently it was the customized to sip off the highest clear a part of the bubbly, after which to show the coupe over to empty out the sediment, earlier than refilling your glass for the subsequent sip. “It was additionally the style to serve it with dessert and dip cake in it,” Riedel added. Although common for a few years, and fairly the trend within the U.S. from the roaring 1920’s to the 1950’s, the coupe fell out of style to get replaced by the flute.
The Flute – The tall slender Champagne flute is definitely based mostly on a design courting again to the Gallo-Roman occasions, however wasn’t accepted in France and England till the 1800’s. Within the US, it began to achieve extra recognition within the 1960’s, and shortly grew to become a logo of celebration.
“The flute was used initially at stand-up receptions and toasting celebrations,” defined Riedel. “Not solely can use see the bubbling bubbles extra clearly in a flute, however you might be much less prone to have Champagne spilled on you at a reception, as you’ll with a coupe.”
Among the Numerous Glass Kinds for Champagne/Glowing Wine
Riedel
The Wine Glass – Previously decade nevertheless, many wine connoisseurs and professionals have switched to wine glasses, or Champagne glasses that resemble wine glasses, to raised benefit from the bubbly drink.
“The difficulty with the coupe and flute,” reported Riedel, “is that they offer you little or no aroma, whereas a wine glass provides great expressions of high quality and nuances, comparable to brioche, yeast, and nutty aromas, that you could get pleasure from.”
Nevertheless, Riedel provides all three kinds of glasses, and plenty of others as properly for Champagne and glowing wine. “We feature all the pieces, as a result of if the client desires it and appears for it, we are going to provide it.”
An Experiment – Georg Riedel steered an fascinating experiment for New Yr’s Eve or different events with glowing wine. “Strive all three glasses and resolve which you like. You’ll discover that the most important drawback of the coupe is that it has zero aroma; second is that it’s essential to sip, and sipping creates an under-pressure that causes a foam carpet in your mouth. It is advisable let this settle earlier than you possibly can truly style. Additionally with a coupe it’s essential to decrease your head, whereas with a flute you increase your head and create a movement verses under-pressure.”
The flute additionally means that you can admire the bubbles streaming upwards, however quite than advanced aromas filling your nostril, typically there may be solely a prickle of carbon-dioxide (CO2) bubbles. Subsequently a traditional white wine glass, or a tear-shaped Champagne glass with a bigger floor space, means that you can admire the aesthetics of the bubbles and likewise higher admire the aromas.
A Scratch or Grain of Rice to Excite the Bubbles
Curiously, most well-made Champagne and glowing wine glasses are crafted with tiny scratches within the glass. The CO2 gasoline is attracted to those scratches and varieties bubbles that escape upwards. Nicely-made beer glasses additionally include these tiny incisions, which are sometimes etched by lasers.
“We create a scratch mark on the backside of all of our Champagne glasses,” defined Riedel. “Additionally, one other fascinating experiment is so as to add a dry grain of rice to your glass. It is not going to change the style of the glowing wine, however will create an ideal stream of bubbles.”
Champagne Homes Design Customized Glasses to Showcase Particular person Kinds
“Now we have labored with many Champagne Homes to create personalized glowing wine glasses designed to focus on the person fashion of their home cuvee,” reported Riedel. “For instance, we’ve got designed particular glasses for Krug and Dom Perignon.” Certainly, the Riedel Champagne Dom Perignon glass is out there on the market on the Riedel web site.
New Champagne Glass Designs for the Future and What To Use Now
In 2020, Riedel launched a brand new assortment referred to as WineWings, that options glasses with flat-bottoms. This assortment features a Champagne glass with rippling sides and a flat backside. Riedel designers consider this glass permits aromas and flavors to be concentrated much more than in different designs.
When requested which glass he shall be utilizing this yr for a New Yr’s toast, and what he would advocate for others, Riedel responded, “We shall be utilizing the brand new WineWings Champagne glass, however there are various different wonderful choices as properly. A daily white wine glass will work wonderful. I additionally suppose our Riedel Vinum Champagne glass, which is extra tear-shaped and extensively obtainable is a good alternative. We additionally discover the Riedel Excessive Efficiency Champagne glasses are fairly elegant.”
The Aggressive Marketplace for Champagne Glasses
Although Riedel has over 250 years of expertise making wonderful stemware, it operates in a really aggressive subject. Different corporations providing Champagne and wine glasses embody: Schott Zwiesel, Spiegelau, Zalto, Grassl, Josephinenhütte, Mikassa, and Luxbe, amongst others. Extra just lately feminine wine specialists have been getting into the profitable wine glass market with new designs. Examples are: The One by MS Andrea Robinson, Taste First by Karen McNeil and The Jancis Robinson Wine Glass Assortment.
