wine glasses – WineFashionista

Riedel For Less, A Lot Less

Wine

This doesn’t happen often. Riedel, maker of some of the most expensive wine glasses in the world, is having a sample sale in New York City. Save the dates – April 26 through April 28 from 10Am – 7pm. If it’s anything like Riedel’s first ever sample sale last summer, it will be worth getting in line extra extra early. I know because I was at that sale and number 5 in line.

Whether you agree with Riedel that specific glass shapes make the wine taste as good as it should, and better than any other wine glass out there doesn’t matter. The line is sexy and modern, and looks great regardless of what you pour in it, be it a $200 Napa Cab or 2 Buck Chuck (has anyone tried that, does 2BC taste better in Riedel?) Read more

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DRINK – Wine tasting in the Crystal Cellar

Wine

This may be the winery tasting room opening of the year. Raymond Vineyards, in Napa Valley, has partnered with the legendary French crystal maker Baccarat, to create a one-of-a-kind tasting room, the Crystal Cellar. It’s pretty awesome. Granted, I was at the soiree to celebrate opening the Crystal Cellar. The atmosphere was like a sophisticated night club. Mirrors everywhere – on the tasting bar and display cases. A stunning crystal chandelier, the focal point of the cellar. A mannequin hanging from a trapeze. Lots of colorful mood lighting. Display cases with Baccarat wine decanters, glasses, and other decorative objects. I have seen the cellar during the daytime, when it’s much more subdued, but equally brilliant. The pairing of a winery and crystal manufacturer is nothing new, but this is the first collaboration for Baccarat with a winery. The inspiration comes from Jean-Charles Boisset, who is head of Boisset Family Estates.…

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SHOP – Riedel Sample Sale

Wine

Sample sales are legendary, at least in the fashion world. The venerable wine glass company, Riedel, jumped into the fray with its first sample sale ever in New York City. I had the good fortune of being in NYC on sale day. Chelsea Market was the location, and I arrived a little more than 30 minutes early, and was 5th in line. By the time the doors opened, more than 50 people had cued up. The calm before the storm: What we found – boxes and boxes of glassware and decanters. If you were looking for the Riedel Amadeo decanter, this was the place to get a deal. Most prices at up to 70% off retail. Also saw a lot of “tasting sets” with varietal specific glasses. I snapped up O Chardonnay glasses and tubes of the O Cabernet/Merlot glasses. I lost out on the last box of champagne flutes.…

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SHOP – Wine glasses

Fashionista

Over the holidays I discovered a cool line of wine glasses. Made by Accademia Luigi Bormioli in Italy. This set of six nice and big crystal glasses are the Cabernet / Super Tuscan glasses from the Esperienzi line. The look is really modern, with the graduated base. Guess what I paid? $36 for set of 6. Very reasonable. Like Riedel, there are glasses for specific varietals and stemless glasses too. I have a few Riedel sets at home, so it will be fun to do a tasting between the two (I had to ship the glasses from the store I found them in South Carolina). Will let you know how my taste test turns out once I get the glasses. Oh and the glasses are diswasher safe too.

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SHOP – more holiday wine gifts

Fashionista

Have you finished your Christmas shopping? Most of us will wait ’till the last minute. Thought a few more wine gift ideas would be helpful. The hottest wine accessory, gadget…Vinturi. It is a wine aerator that you use while pouring a glass of wine. That means it acts like a mini decanter – it gets air into the wine and opens up bouquet and flavors. It is a two-handed operation. Uncork the wine, hold the Vinturi over the glass and pour. You’ll hear a sucking sound — that’s the wine being aerated. Best for red wines, but can be used for white wines too. I’ve seen wineries use it in their tasting rooms so what you taste is the true wine.Comes with rubber stand and a travel pouch and retails for about $30. You can usually find this at a wine shop, or you can order online. I did my…

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