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Stemware and Barware


Kanishka

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I really like Fore Street and did not want to have a confrontation or an issue-just dinner with a couple of glasses of wine. I thought that my offer would eliminate a problem-it didn't. Afterwards, spurned, I spent several minutes trying to guess how many ounces the glasses held that they were using and how people in the dining room reacted having to use them when ordering a bottle of $145 wine.

I also wondered if they offered to pay $150 for the same bottle of wine so they could "upgrade...."

These were legitimately small glasses-the same size that you typically see in a winery's tasting room, i.e. maybe 8 to 10 ounces. Black's new restaurant in Bethesda uses Schott Zweisel (sp?), about 25 ounces in combination with wine served at 55-60 degrees and an extremely intelligent wine list. It would be interesting, over time, to compare the per cap (expression from my industry) for wine in Fore Street vs. that at Black's. My guess is that Black's will comprise a higher, perhaps much higher number.

For me it's just a good business decision to have wine service like this.

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In the end what is truly sad is I have no doubt this is a restaurant that Joe enjoyed in the past. And this incident will forever leave a bad taste in his mouth and rightly so.

I understand restaurant's have ground rules as I have worked in them all my life. But I also believe each case of customer interaction is unique and nothing should be set in stone. In this case the bartender was likely doing what he was told but very well could have said, "Excuse me a moment Sir" and went to speak to his manager and said we got this guy wanting to rent a glass, can we accommodate him in this case.

Great restaurants learn to adapt when thrown a curve ball because no two service's are identical.

Not to make a comparison but I guarantee you if Joe expressed a desire to drink his wine out of a coconut shell at Per Se they would say 'I will be right back with your shell sir.'

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So I received some lovely wine glasses from a wine collector weddng guest of ours, and I'm a bit at a loss over what to do with them.

They're made by some company called "Spiegelau" (not sure if that's good or not).

We've been given champagne flutes, chardonnay, bordeaux, and burgundy glasses.

Are the flutes meant solely for champagne, or for any sparkling wine (white or otherwise)? I.e. Prosecco?

Is the chardonnay solely for chardonnay, or for any white?

Is the bordeaux solely for Bordeaux wine, and if so does that mean that all other reds should be served in the burgundies?

As for the wines he gifted:

Paul Goerg "Blanc de Blancs" champagne (Premier Cru), no vintage given

2000 Charles Ranch Martinelli Chardonnay

2003 Kistler Pinot Noir (#17,952 / 24,576)

1992 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon (#5,508)

It's obvious which glasses the first two should go in, but what about the others? The cabernet, while obviously not FROM the Bordeaux region, seems to me like it would go with the bordeaux glass.

These seem like very good wines... I hope they're not wasted on an uber-neo-oenephile like me.

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So I received some lovely wine glasses from a wine collector weddng guest of ours, and I'm a bit at a loss over what to do with them.

They're made by some company called "Spiegelau" (not sure if that's good or not).

We've been given champagne flutes, chardonnay, bordeaux, and burgundy glasses.

Are the flutes meant solely for champagne, or for any sparkling wine (white or otherwise)? I.e. Prosecco?

Is the chardonnay solely for chardonnay, or for any white?

Is the bordeaux solely for Bordeaux wine, and if so does that mean that all other reds should be served in the burgundies?

As for the wines he gifted:

Paul Goerg "Blanc de Blancs" champagne (Premier Cru), no vintage given

2000 Charles Ranch Martinelli Chardonnay

2003 Kistler Pinot Noir (#17,952 / 24,576)

1992 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon (#5,508)

It's obvious which glasses the first two should go in, but what about the others? The cabernet, while obviously not FROM the Bordeaux region, seems to me like it would go with the bordeaux glass.

These seem like very good wines... I hope they're not wasted on an uber-neo-oenephile like me.

The Kistler would be great in the Burgundy glass (Pinot Noir = red burgundy), and you are correct, the Cab would go nicely in the Bordeaux glass.
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They are all very good wines. The Kistler Pinot Noir, in particular, is worth quite a lot of money. Put the Champagne in the Champagne glass, the chardonnay in the chardonnay glass, the pinot noir in the Burgundy glass, the cabernet in the Bordeaux glass. Spiegelau make fine glasses. They are, however, fragile and the Riedel rule applies: Never attempt to wash them until the morning after.

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They are, however, fragile and the Riedel rule applies: Never attempt to wash them until the morning after.
1st Corollary to the Riedel Rule: Do not store glasses overnight under the cabinet with the coffee or Ibuprofen.

ETA: Spiegelau glasses are indeed very nice. We managed to go through 2 dozen in less than a year even trying to be careful and when they break there are lots of little pieces (though not as many as Baccarat :) )

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:lol: -->

QUOTE(Mrs. B @ Oct 24 2006, 02:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

1st Corollary to the Riedel Rule: Do not store glasses overnight under the cabinet with the coffee or Ibuprofen.

ETA: Spiegelau glasses are indeed very nice. We managed to go through 2 dozen in less than a year even trying to be careful and when they break there are lots of little pieces (though not as many as Baccarat :) )

I picked up a full set of Spiegelaus three years back or so when Amazon was routinely having those ridiculous deals (something like $24 for 6 + free shipping; I know people who bought them by the case). I was expecting to go through them like crazy, but to my surprise I've only busted one. It was done whilst breaking rule #1 :)

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:lol: --><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mrs. B @ Oct 24 2006, 02:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->

1st Corollary to the Riedel Rule: Do not store glasses overnight under the cabinet with the coffee or Ibuprofen.

ETA: Spiegelau glasses are indeed very nice. We managed to go through 2 dozen in less than a year even trying to be careful and when they break there are lots of little pieces (though not as many as Baccarat :) )

I picked up a full set of Spiegelaus three years back or so when Amazon was routinely having those ridiculous deals (something like $24 for 6 + free shipping; I know people who bought them by the case). I was expecting to go through them like crazy, but to my surprise I've only busted one. It was done whilst breaking rule #1 :)

The sad thing is that Mrs. B and I did the same thing, and systematically smashed them to bits in less than six months, while observing rule number 1. Now we drink anything less than classified Bordeaux from jelly jars.

My first day on my first job, washing dishes at Per Bacco! restaurant in Columbia, Md., I mis-stacked a bunch of those dishwasher glass-racks (you have have worked in the biz no the ones I mean) and the stack collapsed, taking maybe 20 or thirty glasses with it. And that's been my MO ever since: jelly jars, Baccarat, everything in between; night before, morning after: my hands are where glasses go to die.

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All I can say is that it must be a very good friend. All the wines are good, (especially the Kistler and the Spotswoode) the advice above is correct (use the right glass for the right wine) and I love "Spiegelau" glasses since they are relatively inexpensive, work well, look nice, and if you are careful, you won't break too many of them.

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Do yourself a big favor and buy a set of wine stem and carafe cleaning brushes. They sell them at Sur la Table, Williams Sonoma and bigger wine shops. One big reason people break wine glasses while washing them, is trying to get their hand or a sponge down into the bowl of the glass. With the specially designed brush, you eliminate that problem. The other big one is knocking the glass against the spigot while rinsing. The brushes won't help you there, but sobriety and caution will. Also, don't stick your hand down into the bowl of the glass to dry it. Let them air dry upside down on a towel. I haven't broken a single glass since I got the brushes. And I like Spiegelau, too.

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Do yourself a big favor and buy a set of wine stem and carafe cleaning brushes. They sell them at Sur la Table, Williams Sonoma and bigger wine shops. One big reason people break wine glasses while washing them, is trying to get their hand or a sponge down into the bowl of the glass. With the specially designed brush, you eliminate that problem. The other big one is knocking the glass against the spigot while rinsing. The brushes won't help you there, but sobriety and caution will. Also, don't stick your hand down into the bowl of the glass to dry it. Let them air dry upside down on a towel. I haven't broken a single glass since I got the brushes. And I like Spiegelau, too.

No need for fancy brushes, one of those Dollar Store long-handled jobs with a round/ball head will do just as good of a job for what is (I'm assuming) a fraction of the price of a "specialized" device, but then again I subscribe to the Alton Brown philosophy of kitchen tool multi-tasking on the cheap. Decanter brush, maybe, if you have one of those ultra wide bottom models. Definitely don't stick your hand down in a glass with a sponge. Copious amounts of blood are almost guaranteed should the bowl shatter.

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No this is not a Reidel Sommelier, but it's not $89 a stem either. I bought twelve of these earlier this week from The Wine Enthusiast ( http://www.wineenthusiast.com/E/details.as...%2DE8F722E1A391 ) and just took delivery of them. Fortessa (the U. S. importer) sells closeouts like this from time to time for about $6 a glass. Looking for a few glasses to take the place of ones that I seem to weekly or monthly break (!) I've taken a serious look at Tritan which is a very good looking and relatively thin stem that can also survive a dishwasher. On a recent visit to Fortessa, looking for a similar closeout, I left having found nothing that interested me. When I returned home a catalogue from the Wine Enthusiast had arrived with their annual closeout prices. Included were the 10" tall, almost 29 ounce Tritan Diva from Schott Zweisel ("Burgundy"-the Cab/Bordeaux is almost 11" tall! http://www.wineenthusiast.com/E/details.as...%2DE8F722E1A391 ). They list at a relatively reasonable $79 for six. THEY WERE ON SALE FOR $39.95 FOR A SIX PACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I bought twelve. These I could afford to break. The only question is were they any good for every day imbibing? Some people such as myself are more demanding of a wine glass with little patience for those that only "look pretty" on a shelf. I needed a "working" wine glass! One that could withstand everything I poured into it!!! (And that might be a lot....over time, at least!)

Well......................I just poured my first glass of the evening in my new wineglass. This is an important moment for me. An introduction of sorts to a new friend, if you will. A friend that I think I will become very close to.

The glass is a bit thinner and lighter than, say, a Reidel Vinum Extreme. But not as thin as a Sommelier. Almost as big however. Wide, too. I think if I tried I could get my nose, lips and chin in it-all at the same time. A long stem...five inches? But a good, "clean" feel to my hand. Much preferred by me to the traditional and smaller Reidel Vinum.

I made a good friend, today. Twelve of them. I can even afford to break a few!

My original intention in posting this was to rave about the glasses and then introduce those on this board to the remarkable $39.95 price. BUT when I just checked they've raised it!!! To $59.95 for six which is still a significant discount. Not quite as big of a deal but still a decent one. Anyway, it's a damned good wine glass for $6.50 a stem or for $10.00 a stem. All twelve of them even survived my dishwasher. Anyway, the glass and I are having a very good "first date" and I just wanted to share with those on this board.

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Noob question: What are the functional and aesthetic differences between Bordeaux and Burgundy glasses? Why do these differences matter, if at all?

I can't see any difference based on Amazon's pictures for Spiegelau, and the listed dimensions appear nearly identical.

Well, these things matter most to people from Bordeaux and Burgundy :blink: . A proper Burgundy glass is usually referred to as a "balloon". Bordeaux glasses are more straight sided and taller. Tradition is the reason. You really should look into the glasses Joe H mentioned in the post before yours. The "normal" sale price is around $49.95 for 6 of the Schott-Zwiesel Tritan/Diva Burgundies or Bordeaux. These are large glasses that are incredibly sturdy, plus dishwasher safe.

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The "normal" sale price is around $49.95 for 6 of the Schott-Zwiesel Tritan/Diva Burgundies or Bordeaux. These are large glasses that are incredibly sturdy, plus dishwasher safe.

I second that. I have these glasses too and use them everyday, but they are also elegant enough for "not everyday" wines.

ETA: I have this model.

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I'm sure it comes as no surprise to many that I've been using glass laboratory stirring rods as swizzle sticks for years, but it's high time I acquired an inexpensive and practical bar spoon, and a julep strainer.

Which would you choose? Of the choices at Amazon.com, I'm leaning towards the Swissmar simply because the "hammer" on the handle end might work well for pouring layers - opinions?

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it's high time I acquired an inexpensive and practical bar spoon

I haven't used the Swissmar, but I swear by the Rosle bar spoon. Has the hammer, and a smaller spoon that is easier to fit into a glass for layering. I like that it doesn't have the twisted shaft, so it is really easy to stir. Also, if you're trying to layer using the length of the twisted shaft, I've found some liqueurs and liquids just fly off the spoon. Not so with the Rosle. I posted this video of a pousse-cafe sometime last year using the Rosle spoon.

It does cost twice as much as the Swissmar, although I often see it on sale at the Pentagon City Sur La Table on that clearance shelf.

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