The Auswine Forum

Afternoon all

I'm looking at purchasing some nice glassware and just enquiring as to what is out there and what cost am I looking at.
Drink mostly Cabernet and Shiraz.

Any tips on the best type of glassware for the above varieties and where to get them from will be great.

Cheers

Zalto's are my favourites. Email Gavin, he was doing a good deal a while back, maybe he still has some stock left.

Cheers
Ian

Zalto's are the favourite choice among many members here. But if they're too expensive in my opinion you can't go past the Riedel Vinum range - just make sure you get the special deals which save roughly 25% on the price per glass.

The cabernet or possibly shiraz glass is what you want. Go to a store and feel out different glasses and see which one you like best.

If you care mostly about function, I actually like the 'O' series stemless Riedel glasses for everyday use. Easy to throw in the dishwasher, still feel great in the hand and come in a variety of appropriate shapes.

That being said, whenever a really good bottle is being opened, out come the Zaltos...

Zalto Zalto Zalto
I have a cupboard full of Riedel's and never use any of them anymore.

felixp wrote:Zalto Zalto Zalto
I have a cupboard full of Riedel's and never use any of them anymore.

This. The Universals are well suited to most wine styles for me. You said 'nice glassware', these are it, and stronger than they look and feel. Buy them in a two pack to have a good carrying container if you want to take them out with you.

felixp wrote:Zalto Zalto Zalto
I have a cupboard full of Riedel's and never use any of them anymore.

Same. I have three dozen Magnum Ouverture for the guests and Zalto universals for me. It's the only glass that will make everything else seem pedestrian.

Go for the Lalique 100 points by James Suckling. I think James Suckling gives them 100 points


When you pass on those, the Zaltos then look a bargain.

If these are also too expensive, perhaps consider the Gabriel Glas Gold Edition.

The only caveat with the above 2 choices is that they will ruin pretty much every other wine glass for you.

ticklenow1 wrote:Zalto's are my favourites. Email Gavin, he was doing a good deal a while back, maybe he still has some stock left.

Cheers
Ian

Talk to me, still can do great deals for Forum members on the Zalto's.

.

OK. I give in. If all these people who's views I respect say they are the ducks nuts-placing an order now.

catchnrelease wrote:Zalto's are the favourite choice among many members here. But if they're too expensive in my opinion you can't go past the Riedel Vinum range - just make sure you get the special deals which save roughly 25% on the price per glass.

The cabernet or possibly shiraz glass is what you want. Go to a store and feel out different glasses and see which one you like best.

The Vinum is so expensive in Australia though..I'm not it is worth it even during a sales...

Plenty of decent 20 dollar alternatives but even if you're only getting 2, Zaltos are great.

They perform well as a general statement...not the best for every wine but very good...but they're just nice to use..light, elegant..they make all of your other glasses feel like chunky junk (even though they're not).

Just prepare yourself to never want to use all of your other glasses...

I'm going to commit heresy here.

I have tried the Zaltos and they are very good, but they sort of over-emphasise the wine to me, if you get what I am saying. I happen to prefer Riedel Vinum for every day use and perhaps Veritas range for something a bit more special (and yes, there are cheaper almost equivalents from Schott and Spiegelau out there). Peter's of Kensington is always pretty good price wise.

I agree..I think for some wines, the Zalto will make certain things bigger...like alcohol...Bigger wines don't show as nicely in them IMO...I think Riedels allow a bit more outside air in and the nose seems to be in better balance..Have had this problem with some whites a well...

But for everyone one wine I have this problem with, there are others it just performs better with...I don't necessarily think from a nose/palate perspective they're any better overall than some of the other great glasses..they're just so light and enjoyable to use...I'd even go as far as say, even if overall I thought they were slightly inferior to Riedels I'd probably still prefer using them..

That's why I really like the Riedel Veritas range, similar in shape to the Vinum, perhaps Veritas Cab Merlot glass slightly more generous size than the Vinum Bordeaux, but much much finer (and a bit more expensive unfortunately). Beautiful to hold and use.

mjs wrote:I'm going to commit heresy here.

I have tried the Zaltos and they are very good, but they sort of over-emphasise the wine to me, if you get what I am saying. I happen to prefer Riedel Vinum for every day use and perhaps Veritas range for something a bit more special (and yes, there are cheaper almost equivalents from Schott and Spiegelau out there). Peter's of Kensington is always pretty good price wise.

..... oooops
That is a really good point and I could not agree more. I forgot, but the truth is, on the rare occasion I am down in Oz and drinking one of my big Aussie shiraz, I get out the Riedel Shiraz glasses. The Bordeaux Zalto do have a tendency to over-emphasise the alcohol in Aussie fruit bombs. But, for any other wine, even including high-alcohol St Emilions, I still much prefer the Zalto's.

and perhaps the biggest change in my drinking styles is using Zalto universal for most champagne, and Zalto Burgundy glasses for Blanc de Noirs.

mjs wrote:I'm going to commit heresy here.

I have tried the Zaltos and they are very good, but they sort of over-emphasise the wine to me, if you get what I am saying. I happen to prefer Riedel Vinum for every day use and perhaps Veritas range for something a bit more special (and yes, there are cheaper almost equivalents from Schott and Spiegelau out there). Peter's of Kensington is always pretty good price wise.

I agree. Love the Zaltos for wines where extreme ripeness, alcohol or oak aren't present. Prefer Schott Zwiesel for the more forward "new world' styles.

Tasted a number of wines side by side in both glasses about 18 months ago to come to this conclusion.

Cheers

Andrew

We've shifted to Spieglau (sister company to Riedel). Happy to buy either from the discount store (TK Maxx), at the equivalent of A$4/ stem. Regretfully, Zaltos never turn up.

Polymer wrote:

catchnrelease wrote:Zalto's are the favourite choice among many members here. But if they're too expensive in my opinion you can't go past the Riedel Vinum range - just make sure you get the special deals which save roughly 25% on the price per glass.

The cabernet or possibly shiraz glass is what you want. Go to a store and feel out different glasses and see which one you like best.

The Vinum is so expensive in Australia though..I'm not it is worth it even during a sales...

.

We got an amazing deal on Vinum grand cru riesling a few years back at Costco. My wife phoned to say they had packs of 4 of the riesling on sale for $30 per pack so we picked up two. In hindsight we should have got three since they are closer to $90 at Peters of Kensington. If Zaltos are out of the budget range and Redwine is simply after nice functional wine glasses, I often go to the warehouse outlet for Peters of Kensington in Alexandria to see what they have on sale. Sadly stock turns over regularly and there is no internet updates. You can however often get nice shaped glasses for regular use for as low at $20 per 4 or 6 pack.

Mark

Best deal I ever came across was buy a Vinum Shiraz and Cabernet and get a free Chardonnay and Riesling. Bought 12 and ended up with 24. Bargain.

Wizz wrote:

mjs wrote:I'm going to commit heresy here.

I have tried the Zaltos and they are very good, but they sort of over-emphasise the wine to me, if you get what I am saying. I happen to prefer Riedel Vinum for every day use and perhaps Veritas range for something a bit more special (and yes, there are cheaper almost equivalents from Schott and Spiegelau out there). Peter's of Kensington is always pretty good price wise.

I agree. Love the Zaltos for wines where extreme ripeness, alcohol or oak aren't present. Prefer Schott Zwiesel for the more forward "new world' styles.

Tasted a number of wines side by side in both glasses about 18 months ago to come to this conclusion.

Cheers

Andrew

Andrew

that is interesting as I was reading the same discussion last night on the UK wine pages forum where over 7 (!!) pages they also concluded that the Zaltos tend to emphasis faults.

http://www.wine-pages.com/ubb/ultimateb ... 1;t=042600

For day to day drinking I also use the Schott Zwiesel Diva burgundy glasses.

Mark

I don't think it is faults per se...but I think you pick up more on the nose..which can be a good or a bad thing....I'd generally say it is a good thing but sometimes that slightly less intense nose and a bit of outside air (that's what it seems like to me when I compare glasses side by side which I unfortunately do too often) can be beneficial...

Right now the glass I want to try is Gabriel Glas....Sometimes the machine ones can be had for a pretty good price and they look like they'd be similar (and the comments I've read suggests it would be). The hand blown one is like 20 grams lighter than the Zalto Universals...I just have a hard time seeing them being as tough with all that extra glass missing..but then again, I would have said the same thing about Zaltos..

The lightness of the Zaltos seems to be their top asset. The hand blown GGs being lighter should therefore be 'better' (?)

I dunno...is there a point where they can be too light? I don't know how strong they are either...If the Gabriel Glas was as strong, that might make them a really good contender..but right now there doesn't seem to be the data...

Then go out and do some experimentation and report back ASAP!

I just bought a 4 pack of the Spieglau Salute Bordeaux glasses from Peters of Kensington for $30 delivered. very similar glass to the Riedel Vinum in size (700ml) and feels good quality. I tend to like a big glass and cant stand those small white wine classes that a lot of companies sell. Why would I have a smaller glass of white wine than I do a red?

tonym wrote: Why would I have a smaller glass of white wine than I do a red?

Its partly because white wine is generally drank at a lower temperature than red. The smaller surface area means it warms up more slowly. The smaller volume means you drink the contents more quickly, before it has time to warm up so much.

I was always under the impression the smaller bowl size was because of the nose...that the nose of a white might get lost in a very large bowl...

The actual pour size of whites/reds are the same aren't they?

I find that some whites get lost in red glasses..but they can often show very nicely just as easily..

Polymer wrote:I was always under the impression the smaller bowl size was because of the nose...that the nose of a white might get lost in a very large bowl...

The actual pour size of whites/reds are the same aren't they?

I find that some whites get lost in red glasses..but they can often show very nicely just as easily..

The nose is another issue. Barrel matured whites being more like reds often needing a bigger glass. Unoaked whites, probably do better in smaller glasses. At least, younger, less developed examples.

The Riedel Montrachet glasses are great for chardonnay (unsurprisingly.) They are like Burgundy glasses with the top few cm cut off. It seems that the aromas of chardonnay aren't always strong enough to reach the top of a Burgundy glass. You need to get your nose right into the glass. At least that's my (and Herr Riedel's!) experience.

It really does depend on the wine...

A lot of Chardonnays can stand up to big red glass..although lighter whites sometimes can't...