The Riedel Sommeliers Sauternes glass is specially designed to bring out the best in sweet wines like Sauternes. With its unique curved shape, this glass highlights the luscious apricot aromas and balances the rich sweetness with just the right amount of acidity. Originally crafted in collaboration with renowned wine collector Hardy Rodenstock, it’s become a favorite for anyone who loves dessert wines. Whether you're sipping a chilled Sauternes or another luscious sweet wine, this glass makes every sip a little more special.

SOMMELIERS (1973): Professor CLAUS J. RIEDEL was the first designer to recognize that the bouquet, taste, balance and finish of wines are affected by the shape of the glass from which they are consumed. More than 50 years ago he began his pioneering work to create stemware that would match and complement different wines and spirits. In the late 1950s, RIEDEL started to produce glasses, which at that time were a design revolution. Thin-blown, unadorned, reducing the design to its essence: bowl, stem, base. Working with experienced tasters, RIEDEL discovered that wine enjoyed from his glasses showed more depth and better balance than when served in other glasses. CLAUS J. RIEDEL laid the groundwork for stemware which was functional as well as beautiful, and made according to the Bauhaus design principle: form follows function. In 1961 a revolutionary concept was introduced, when the Riedel catalogue featured the first line of wine glasses created in different sizes and shapes. Before this, conventional stemware had used a single basic bowl shape, with only the size varying depending on use. The concept was illustrated to perfection with the introduction of the Sommeliers series in 1973, which achieved worldwide recognition. A glass was born that turns a sip into a celebration -a wine's best friend - fine-tuned to match the grape! We invite you to share this fascinating and unique experience. You don't need to be a wine writer, a wine maker or an expert to taste the difference that a RIEDEL glass can make. SOMMELIERS is executed in crystal. 

This glass was originally developed in 1989 in collaboration with Hardy Rodenstock, described by the Wine Spectator as 'the world's most extravagant wine collector'. It was first issued as a glass for dry white wine as part of Riedel's mouth-blown HR1 collection. Ironically enough, tastings around the world have subsequently shown it to be the ideal glass for Sauternes and sweet wines. The unusual curved design accentuates the apricot aromas typical of wines made from grapes affected by botrytis ('noble rot'). The glass is designed to emphasise acidity, thus balancing the wine's liquorous sweetness and luscious finish. This shape is also part of our mouth-blown Sommeliers series as the Sauternes and dessert wine glass.

Technical Specs

Brand: Riedel
Product Type: Dessert Wine Glass
Collection: Sommeliers
Model / Article No.: #6047 / 4400/55
Design: 1989
Material: Fine Crystal Glass
Manufacturing: Handmade
Colour: Clear Crystal
Capacity: 340 ml
Height: 200 mm
Widest Diameter: 85 mm
Packaging: Riedel-branded Gift Box
Set: 1 Glass
Country / Brand: Austria

Features
Handcrafted Excellence: Each glass is individually shaped by skilled glassmakers, giving every piece its own subtle character and refined finish.
Dessert Wine-Specific Design: Developed to enhance Sauternes and other sweet dessert wines, helping reveal their rich fruit aromas, aromatic complexity and luscious character.
Distinctive Curved Bowl: The elegantly rounded, egg-shaped bowl helps concentrate delicate aromas, particularly apricot and honey notes commonly found in botrytised dessert wines.
Sweetness and Acidity Balance: The carefully designed shape helps emphasise freshness and acidity, balancing the wine's concentrated sweetness and creating a harmonious, lingering finish.
Fine Crystal Clarity: Made from clear crystal glass, offering brilliance and transparency that beautifully showcase the wine.
Timeless Stemmed Silhouette: Its slender stem and elegant proportions make it a refined choice for formal dining, wine tasting, and special occasions.

Care Instruction
Cleaning: Dishwasher safe according to Riedel's care guidance. Ensure the glass does not touch other items during washing to help prevent damage. Handle carefully when loading and unloading.

Suitable for: Sauternes, Barsac, Tokaji (sweet), Trockenbeerenauslese, Beerenauslese, Auslese (sweet), Ice Wine, Monbazillac, Jurançon Moelleux, Recioto di Soave, Vin Santo and other sweet dessert wines.