They are, in every way, extremely delicate. Very thin walls, thin stems, and beautiful craftsmanship. As long as you are careful with them, they will bring your fine wines into a completely new light. They will allow you to intimately taste the wine in perfect balance.

But if you are not a serious wine drinker, stick with the Vinum series. The Vinum series is more than enough. I go to weekly wine tastings at my local wine shop where they serve the wine in cheap ($1 ... maybe) glasses that actually mask the wine's flavors and bring out the harsh qualities while supressing any smells or tastes that would actually allow you to evaluate the wine properly. I started to bring a basic Vinum glass, and the difference was unbelievable. When at home comparing the Vinum and Sommelier series, however, the difference is much less pronounced. If you use a glass that doesn't kill the wine's flavor, that's enough. The added pleasure of the Sommelier series lies mostly in its lighter, more delicate construction. Honestly, I'm not sure how much of it is purely psychological, but it just FEELS good to hold your wine in a delicate work of art.

I say mostly, because these glasses are BIG. Some of my friends have threatened to turn my glasses into fish bowls. This added size pulls apart the wine, letting you move your nose around in and above the glass to discover everything that the Vinum series might compress into a smaller space.

Overall, buying a few Sommelier stems would do your finer wines a favor, but for everyday drinking, or for those who aren't complete yuppies like myself, the Vinum Series is just fine.


Great for medium-big reds!   September 7, 2005
Ashley (Stamford, CT)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Riedel crystal wine glasses are some of the best you can buy. They are specially designed for drinking wine... Riedel makes many different shapes of crystal glasses for different wine vareitals. If you only buy one type of high-end glass for your red wine, however, this one is a great choice. As part of the Sommelier line, it is oversized, so it really opens up the wine for a fuller nose and body. Not meant for whites, or weak, light wines - use a smaller, tighter glass for that. I use this glass for bordeaux, of course... cabernet, merlot, barolo and occasionally also for pinot noir, sangiovese, a big chianti, or super tuscan. The taste of the wine in this glass is distinctly different compared to other glasses (crystal and glass) that we own and have used.

I had ordered this glass to replace one that had broken. Though these glasses are incredibly well made and not 'thin' and 'delicate' as some can be, they are still fragile and should be handled and washed with utmost care, especially given the price you are paying for them! My husband chose to handwash it after imbibing a bit too much, and he broke the stem right off. I do not believe that this problem is one of quality at all, but instead consider this a warning for your handling and care for the glass.

At the time I ordered, the price I found on Amazon was the lowest in comparison to find compared to other discounted prices offered. These glasses are expensive, but worth it.

I was especially impressed by the shipping. In past experience with private distributors, I have had Riedel glasses break in shipping due to poor padding / packaging. When I received my glasses in this case, they were very well protected and arrived intact.


Very Special Glassware   April 26, 2005
Great Faulkner's Ghost (Washington, DC)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful


If you can afford to splurge on a Riedel Sommelier series glass you will never regret it. You simply can't believe how much difference a great glass can make, even on "everyday" wines. IMHO, the Zinfandel Sommelier glass is a good all around shape for the price; the Bordeaux and Burgundy ballon are bigger and therefore better because they have more internal surface area, but they cost more and there super-size makes them somewhat impractical.

Because the crystal is delicate and thin, these clearly are not for the dishwasher and must be handwashed. Be aware also that the Sommelier stems separate from the bowl rather easily if you twist the stem while drying the glass with a towel, which is quite a natural movement. But aside from that issue,which applies to many brands of hand blown crystal these are very special in every way.



Delicate works of art   November 6, 2007
David Baggett (Maryland, USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

These glasses are true works of art: they are paper thin, perfectly balanced, and ring like a bell when you tap them. I'm not sure I believe the hype about how much they improve the taste of the wine versus other decent stemware, but as they say, presentation is everything.

However, at over $70 a stem, they will break your heart when you break them -- which you (or a guest) definitely will. If you are into wine enough that you are willing to buy a $70 disposable glass, go for it. Or save them for dinner parties and hide the dirty glasses after the meal so no one tries to help out by washing them.

The only way to avoid breaking these over long periods of time is to rinse them with soap and water and turn them upside down to dry on a drying mat. Yes, they will have spots. But if you try to dry them -- no matter how delicately -- you will eventually break the stem off. Trust me, I did this with about 5 of these before I stopped even trying to dry them. Since then I haven't broken any -- but my guests have...

It certainly doesn't help matters that when people are trying to wash and dry these, they've had a full glass of wine -- or three. I suppose there's a certain irony to delicate stemware...



Excellent, if not fragile   March 8, 2007
B. Anderson
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is an excellent glass, but very, very fragile. Seems obvious, but even with an obsessively tedious and careful hand washing I broke one. Beware.