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.

Glass series: SOMMELIERS COGNAC V.S.O.P.
Item number: 4400/71
Height: 165 mm, 6-1/2″
Capacity: 160 ccm, 5-5/8″ oz
Widest diameter: 67 mm, 2-5/8″
Price Category: $$$
Fine Crystal
The Hennessy qualities require different glass shapes according to their age each designed to reveal a particular set of characteristics. The youthful character of their standard quality V.S.O.P. needed to be matched by a glass that could maximise its fruit, integrating acidity and alcoholic strength into a harmonious whole. With this in mind, our ‘brandy workshop’ came up with a small, tulip-shaped glass that was able to satisfy the rigorous specifications of the master blender. Its shape and size emphasise the delicate caramel and fruit aromas of the brandy and counteract its fiery alcohol.