Product Description

As Featured in The Wall Street Journal's Wine Notes Section, July 2007 Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher's "everyday glass". Founded in 1521, Spiegelau is one of the oldest and most famous European manufacturers of fine crystal, located in the small town of Spiegelau in the heart of the Bavarian Forest. Being one of the most picturesque parts of Germany, this area has in recent times become as much a centre of tourism as well as a traditional center of glassmaking. Today, the Spiegelau brand has become synonymous with quality stemware, especially among the worlds leading sommeliers and wine connoisseurs. The machine-made Vino Grande Series is exceptionally beautiful and durable and is designed to enhance a wines flavor and bouquet. Each shape is specific to how the wine will aerate and how the bouquet will be delivered to your nose Dishwasher safe. Size: 8-1/2"H, 25 oz.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5290 in Kitchen & Housewares
• Brand: Spiegelau
• Model: 4510000
• Dimensions: 8.70" h x 9.60" w x 12.80" l, 3.45 pounds

Features

• Set of six glasses, designed for Burgundy wines
• Glasses hold a generous 25-ounces
• Non-lead crystal
• Each glass stands 8-1/2 inches high with a sturdy base and graceful stem
• Dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning; made in Germany

Amazon.com Review
Several years ago, an article in Wine Spectator magazine noted the importance of a high-quality glass for improving a wine's looks and enhancing its bouquet. However, the magazine lamented, many of the attributes that increase the beauty and value of the glass actually obscure the wine. Spiegelau's Vino Grande series is part of a connoisseur line designed specifically for wine lovers. The thin rim means less distraction from the taste and texture of the wine. Tap the glass gently with your fingernail and you'll hear the distinctive ping of fine crystal.

This glass, which measures 8-1/2 inches high, features a wide bowl and narrow rim ideal for Burgundy wines. Like all red-wine glasses, it should be filled only one-third of the way so the wine can be swirled to release its full flavor. These glasses are billed as dishwasher-safe and are sturdy enough for everyday use, as proven by their use in restaurants. Still, we'd recommend hand washing. --Irene Svete

Customer Reviews

Learn What You've Been Missing!
These glasses received the top rating from the Wall Street Journal's wine journalists, and as a result, I decided to buy 2 sets of 6, replacing our standard Williams Sonoma red wine glasses. After using them for about a month for various red wines, they have made me realize that I've been missing much of my wines' bouquets. They are big, so you can pour yourself a full serving, and still have plenty of room to swirl your wine without worrying whether your Cabernet will end up all over your rug. After that, bury your nose in the glass. The shape of the glass has allowed me to enjoy the wine's nose more than ever before. The bouquet simply explodes relative to my previous wine glasses. This alone seems intoxicating!

The glasses are made with lead crystal, but balance the delicacy of super-thin glasses with enough substance so you aren't constantly worried about breaking one (and even if you do, they are inexpensive enough to easliy replace). A case of six glasses costs about the same as 3 $15-$20 bottles of wine, and will enhance every bottle you drink. A great product.

excellent inexpensive stemware
I've been using Spiegelau wine glasses for several years, and they are excellent. The burgundy glass is great for any pinot noir based wine, and also for Piedmont wines made from nebbiolo (barolo, barbaresco, langhe). These glasses are designed to enhance the bouquet of those types of wine.

If you drink a lot of bordeaux, or cabernet sauvignon, I'd suggest Spiegelau's bordeaux glass. If your preference is zinfandel or chianti, you're a bit out of luck with Spiegelau however. Their chianti glass isn't very good. Try the Riedel Vinum chianti glass for these wines; you'll be knocked out by the way it focuses the bouquet.

Some reviewers have complained about breakage. I've seldom broken a glass, but it does occasionally happen during washing. My method is to clear the sink, run the water as hot as possible, put a bit of dishsoap in each glass. I then use a special ultra soft brush (which I got at a local wine shop for about $6) to clean the glass, removing fingerprints and especially the gunk around the rim. Then rinse thoroughly with very hot water. Invert on cloth. After about half an hour, with the glasses almost dry, you can wipe them off with paper towels (which don't leave any lint behind) and put them away.

The main thing is never to lay them down in the sink, and wash one glass at a time. Just do the wine glasses and pay attention to what you're doing. Don't try to stick your hand inside the bowl when drying; just use the paper towels.

Finally, even though these glasses are supposed to be dishwasher safe, I don't know why anybody who loves wine would put stemware in a dishwasher. Dishwashers always leave a film, and eventually their abrasive detergents will put microscopic scratches on the glasses, which lose their clarity as a consequence.

Wonderful -- and VERY LARGE
These glasses are really wonderful for enjoying red wine. Their very large bowls really help the air exposure that brings out the flavors in a good red. The rims were thin and the stems delicate enough, but they didn't feel terribly fragile. Also, I thought the packaging was just fine. There was nothing wrong with this set in any way.

However, I wouldn't recommend these glasses to anyone who is a very casual wine drinker and wants to stay that way -- or anyone with very limited cupboard space. When I have wine enthusiasts over, they think these glasses are very appropriate. When I have others over, they think these are weird. The bowls are MUCH larger than your average red wine glasses. Expect to hear "Well, I know the red wine glasses are larger, but isn't this a little overboard?" Of course, these people don't realize that no -- the size of these bowls is great. But expect to have to explain.

So overall, in sum: Perfect for enjoying your red wine -- much larger than the standard size for reds, which helps you enjoy what you are drinking! If you don't want to have to explain the "weird" size to guests who don't understand red wine reasonably well, or want to save cupboard space, then perhaps avoid these and go for a more standard size red wine glass.