ADVERTISING: Advertorial — Trends in glassware
Trends are everywhere in every business. Wine clearly has them; we see varietals come in and out of vogue constantly. It is no surprise, then, to see styles of glassware come and go. While it is hard to imagine that the traditional stemmed, varietally styled glasses from Riedel ever going out of style, there are several new glasses that are taking a share of the market for both wine and cocktails.
A trend that may not be new but is clearly in place and stable is a glass that gets attention for both cocktails and Champagne and other sparkling wines. It is called the coupe glass; it is a stemmed glass that is more broad than tall. If you don’t recognize the name or recall the style, you will remember it as the glass that James Bond drank Champagne from, especially in the era when Bond was played by the recently deceased Sean Connery. There were many iconic scenes where Bond would order the 1959 Bollinger, and it would always be served to him in the coupe glass. The glass has experienced a resurgence in recent years with the craft cocktail industry, and from there it is becoming the choice for “bubbly” as well. We carry them from $10 per glass and they are a great way to put a mid-century modern twist on your table.
Last year, when we were visiting Napa, most all the wineries we visited were using a new style of glass in their tastings. While the glass still has the tulip shape and the traditional stem, the bottom of the glass is completely flat. The trend has clearly taken hold as we currently struggle to keep the glasses in stock here in North Idaho. They “drink” beautifully, and as wine professionals we can tell you they do a lovely job of delivering robust aromatics and based on the palate flavors we pick up, they are placing the wine appropriately on the palate as well. The line we carry is manufactured by a company out of Tuscany and comes in both a wine glass- that while it is appropriate for both red and white is sized more for red- and a champagne flute. They strike an impressive look on your table and are around $15 per stem. One other interesting and functional note on the glasses we carry, they are crystal and the manufacturer has replaced the lead that can be in crystal with titanium. While a good whack will still break the glass, they are a bit more durable than other paper-thin crystal glassware.
The same company makes a decanter that, while it may fall short of a trend right now, it clearly is an innovative design. Like most decanters, it has a broad base and long neck perfect for aerating your favorite wine. In addition to the punt in the bottom of the decanter, it has a well-placed thumb shaped indentation in the body of the decanter about a third of the way up. This small but clever addition makes the decanter much easier to hold and pour from. The decanters sell for $118 for the 750ml size. There is also a magnum version available for slightly more.
Another trend that has been in place for some time now, but still is very popular, is the Riedel Swirl glass. We started using this style of Riedel glass a couple of years ago in our tastings here at the shop. They are stemless and they have an indentation at the middle of the glass that goes all the way around. We started using them in our tastings as they not only fit better in our dishwasher, but being stemless they are less likely to get broken. For consumers, the big benefit is how easy they are to hold on to. If you know anyone who has small hands or limited dexterity, these glasses are a great gift for the same reason, they are just so easy to hang on to. Like all Riedel and all high-quality wine glasses, they have a cut rim. The tulip shape of the glass is still there too, which is important for delivering the aromatics of the wine.
There are always new developments in the best glass for wine consumption. We only carry the best glasses to enhance your wine experience while also looking for those that can improve the look of your table, which has taken on increased importance as we all spend more time at home, entertaining friends and family there. Stop by the shop to see these trending glassware styles and the new ones we will bring in as we approach the holidays.
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George Balling is co-owner with his wife, Mary Lancaster, of the dinner party, a wine and gift shop in Coeur d’Alene by Costco. The dinner party has won the award for best wine shop in North Idaho twice, including for 2018. George is also published in several other publications around the country. After working in wineries in California and judging many wine competitions, he moved to Coeur d’Alene with Mary more than 10 years ago to open the shop. You can also follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.