Saturday, February 5, 2011

Decanted Wine of Naples Pairs Wonderfully with Riedel Stemware!

.
Decanted And Riedel Crystal  Produce Crystal Clear Revelations

Last night, I and fifty wine loving guests experienced a most educational and memorable evening at the Riedel crystal demonstration at Naples' Decanted Wines.

Five glasses and four fine wines taught us more about proper glassware than any lecturer or video could ever have done.We paid $50 each to attend the talk, taste 4 wonderful $30-$80+ wines, and come home with a stunning tasting quartet of quite large  Riedel Vinum XL wine glasses that together retail for ~$200. (The Riedel rep says the Austrian name is pronounced to rhyme with "needle," and is not pronounced "Ree dell." Riedel makes quite a few lines of stemware at various price points.

I’ve never seen so many serious wine aficionados change their minds and lifelong preconceptions about ideal stemware as quickly and as firmly as on this evening. Why? Their own taste buds, or palates provided the oenologic evidence.
 In a nutshell, or a decanter, the evening showed that wines taste best when paired with the optimally shaped wine glass.
We sampled two whites- Grgich Hills Fume Blanc, 2008 and Forman Chardonnay, 2008, then two fine reds-Merry Edwards Russian River Pinot Noir 2008 and Whitehall Lane Reserve Cabernet, 2007, each in its unique corresponding  Riedel glass. By pouring wines from one glass to another, swirling and tasting, we learned which glasses best helped us to  appreciate the citrusy qualities of the Grgich, the buttery taste of the Chardonnay, and the boldness of the Cabernet.
 Over 80% of the taste of wine or food depends on its inhaled aroma. Pinch your nose tight, and try to taste food or wine-you get the point, as you lose the fine points of taste.  Did you  know that the shape of  wine glasses makes a 100% difference in the perception of a wine's tasting  from "ok" in one glass, to actually "great" in a different glass?

  The fun began as people's preconceptions were turned upside down. As we poured the wines from the Riedel stemware into a plain non-crystal wine glass, it became clear to all that the finer qualities of each wine were distinctly dulled in the non-crystal glass. Then the wines were poured into the other Riedel glasses, and it became clear that Riedel really was on to something powerful with their uniquely shaped glasses, custom designed for accentuating the aroma and aeration of each wine varietal.
The Riedel Tasting Set Around  a Regular Wine Glass in Center
 No smoke, no mirrors, no fancy talk needed. Just people tasting and smiling with that "Aha!" look!

The wines and our palates told a clear convincing  story.

   If you want to make a $90 bottle of wine taste like a $9 bottle, just serve it in those $3-$5 non-crystal wine glasses you have at home.

    Conversely, a fine crystal glass of say a Cabernet design, paired with a so-so Cabernet, will make it taste better, though not like a $90 bottle. Hey, I’d be happy with it tasting like a $25 Cabernet! That taste enhancement is done with the right Riedel glass. The aromas of each varietal grape or wine really are brought out when sampled in the optimally shaped glass.
People vote with their wallets. At the end of the talk, several dozen boxes of Riedel crystal were purchased and went home with happy customers.
Guests also dined on upscale appetizers such as smoked salmon and fresh lettuce on toasted sliced baguettes
 fruit trays

 and cheeses trays, attractively presented by nearby South Street Restaurant.

I and others went home beaming with a $200 set of four large, beautiful stems of Riedel wine glasses for a super deal of only $50!

(Quite a few bottle of wine were purchased this evening, too!)
 I thought it over, and bought more Riedel Vinum XL stemware from Decanted Wines today. Hey, when a wine not only looks elegant in the right stemware and also tastes great to your guests, you'll shine like a star!

Decanted Wine, 1410 Pine Ridge Road, Naples, 434-1814, http://www.decantedwines.com/

FYI..Be at the next Wine Throw Down event February 24, 5:30-8:00 pm as wine merchants pick their best wines for you to sample and compare. This $25 event features top California wines. Reserve now, as these events fill up fast! So far, Nickel & Nickel, Paul Hobbs, and Hestan / Meyer Vineyards will be represented.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Thanks Ivan! Such a great event last night and a great crowd, so happy you and every else got so much out of it and we were able to share our experience with you!