I’ve posted about Bacchus before, but I wanted to talk about it again since I attended another event there… and will be attending yet another in 2 weeks’ time.
After the first event I attended there, the delightful PR contact I had kept me updated on upcoming events that I might be interested in. I found myself fortunate enough to snag a spot at the Riedel event they held, which sold out quickly despte its $125 price tag – and you’ll see why in a minute. (Please note; once again, via the PR agency, I did not pay for this event.)
The event of which I speak was different from the others… it was being hosted by Maximillian Riedel himself. Eleventh generation in the famous glassmaking family, a wealth of knowledge and just a charming personality… I was really awestruck. I’ve admitted before that I’m no oenophile, though I do enjoy the occasional glass of wine, but his sheer passion for wine, evident in his speech, really inspired me. He knew his stuff, obviously, and he had no shame in sharing that with us.
This event was set up differently from the previous one; there were tables laid out with a set of 4 Riedel (pronounced rhee-dl, by the man himself) glasses of different varietals, each with wine pre-poured, and a plastic cup. After we all took a seat, we faced Mr. Riedel in a semi-circle and he began our education. (There was also bread on each table, to prevent us from getting too tipsy, I suppose…)
Mr. Riedel explained a bit about each wine and glass, how they are meant to open up the bouquet, aerate the various wines, and just put each wine’s best foot forward, even if it’s “only” a $10 bottle. We sampled each wine from the proper glass – designed such that it would direct the flow of the wine to a different part of your tongue – and noted how it felt, tasted, and smelled. I was able to drink some wines that normally, I absolutely cannot stand (more tannic red wines don’t sit well with my amateur/undeveloped tongue); I could even say I liked some.
So what, though, right? Maybe it was the wine they served.
Then he had us switching the wine, pouring it into different glasses, into the plastic cup, to sample.
Previously, I’ll be honest, I’d thought Riedel had a brilliant marketing scheme – “You need a different glass for each different type of wine,” – brilliant! Make people believe they need a lot of different kinds of glasses and they’ll just keep buying your glasses, right? Moneymaking and preys on people’s gullibility…
Well, I thought that way until we changed up the glasses. The glasses definitely direct the wine to hit different parts of your tongue, causing the entire taste profile to change. What was harmonious, pleasant, and smooth a minute ago was now, in the wrong glass, harsh, tannic, bitter and well, disgusting. I was impressed. Of course, this has more to do with the product being genuine and less to do with Mr. Riedel’s lecture skills, but his commentary as we went along was extremely educational as well. I was most keen to find out that you don’t actually need a different glass for each wine variety – just one for each grape, as the flow should still be similar enough. Champagne, for example, is from the pinot grape, and can be served in pinot grigio glasses.
There was a ton more information, but I think you should just take the class in order to find out more… Extremely informative, but fun and not too serious… absolutely awesome.
By the way, part of the reason for the hefty price tag- do you see the glasses in the above photograph- my glasses, from which I drank? Like every other event at Bacchus, where you receive a glass at the beginning of the night from which to taste that you then get to keep, we all got to keep our glasses – all four of them. We were given gift boxes to put them in and take home, simply awesome. I actually thought it was a great gift idea, and looked it up to see if I could purchase two sets (for a couple friend of mine), and was shocked to discover the sets themselves retail for around $150 each. So the class price is actually a great bargain… keep checking back to see if they host this class again, there aren’t any available right now.
I am really enjoying furthering my wine education at Bacchus and just want to share with everyone…
Enjoy!!!
MissGinsu says
Huh! I’d always wondered about the effect of the glassware on flavor.
But considering I’m one of those philistines that sips wine out of juice glasses and jelly jars… I’m probably not their target audience. 🙂
Cheers!
Miss G.
Gary Allen says
I attended a Riedel demonstration several years ago — and, like you, I was extremely skeptical going in. However, after tasting the wine in ordinary wine glass, then in Riedel glass, and finally back in a ordinary glass, my reaction was the same: UGGGGH! It seemed that all I could taste were the chemicals added as preservative — something I hadn’t even noticed before. It was, as you say, disgusting.
Unfortunately, I can’t afford those wonderful glasses — and, now that I’ve experienced them, I can always taste those damned preservatives.
Ignorance is, indeed, bliss.
Nicole says
=] riedel came and spoke at my beverage marketing class and we did the exact same thing you did.. with that numbered circled.. placemat thingie too. i had i think the same reaction you did.. like.. “wow.. it actually does make a big difference!” and they let me take a glass home too. but now i have one pinot noir glass sitting by itself without any friends..
Lizz says
That’s interesting about the different glasses. I’ve heard about that before but the wine noob in me thought “pish posh!” haha
Anyway. I joined the Sunnyside CSA bc pick up is a block away from my parents. This is my first year so I split a share with my friend. I think full share is a bit much for one person. Our split seems just enough for me and my BF and we like to eat alot of veggies. There are some days where there isn’t enough of one veggie so I’ll have to combine it with something else. i.e. when my friend and I split a bunch of chard, it’s like 4 stems!
So far I’m loving it since it gives me a peace of mind and I don’t have to worry about buying veggies for the week. The supermarkets around Kew Gardens blow or not walking distance. I’ll still buy the occasional veggie if my CSA is lacking.
I think you should give it a try next year. It’s a fun surprise to find out what’s in the box for the week!
Oh my bad about the URL – I was convinced to change it. 🙂