-. Binding : Kitchen
-. Brand : Riedel
-. EAN : 0632868044447
-. Feature : Four large, dramatically shaped glasses ideal for tasting seven varietal wines / Diamond-shaped bowls intensify bouquet, enhance wines' silky texture / For cabernet/merlot; pinot noir/nebbiolo; riesling/sauvignon blanc; chardonnay / Machine-blown of 24 percent lead crystal / Made in Europe by world-renowned wine-glass maker
-. Label : Riedel
-. Manufacturer : Riedel
-. Model : 5444/ 40
-. ProductGroup : Kitchen
-. ProductTypeName : KITCHEN
-. Publisher : Riedel
-. Studio : Riedel
-. Title : Riedel Vinum Extreme 4-Piece Wine Tasting Set
-. UPC : 632868044447
Made in Europe by the world's most renowned wineglass maker, Riedel Crystal, founded in 1756, the four large glasses in this wine-tasting set from Riedel's Vinum Extreme series established a new standard when they were introduced. Distinguished by their bowls' dramatically flared diamond shape, the glasses provide an exceptionally wide evaporation surface, thereby intensifying a wine's bouquet and silky texture. The glasses are machine-blown of 24 percent lead crystal and conform to Riedel's exacting standards: they're colorless, transparent, and thin-walled, and their lips are cut and polished so wine flows smoothly onto the tongue.

Though glasses shaped and sized for different types of wine seem commonplace today, when Riedel introduced this idea in 1961 it was a revolutionary concept. Since then Riedel has continued fine-tuning glasses to bring out the best characteristics in wines and spirits. Varying bowl shapes and sizes affect the position of the head when sipping and where wine first contacts the tongue's taste zones. Thus, the four glasses in this set are ideal for tasting seven varietals: cabernet sauvignon/merlot (9-3/4 inches high, holds 30-3/8 ounces); pinot noir/nebbiolo (9-1/2 inches, 29-5/8 ounces); riesling/sauvignon blanc (9-1/2 inches, 16-7/8 ounces); and chardonnay (9-1/8 inches, 27-1/2 ounces). Riedel crystal is used by fine restaurants all over the world and thus must stand up to frequent trips through a dishwasher. But because lead crystal has a soft, coarse surface to convey intense aromas, Riedel recommends the glasses be hand washed. --Fred Brack