First it was salt. Then it was a snooty, wine-snob tasting glass that, unfortunately, works really well. It was a gift from my sister and her life partner, so I would never criticize its function if it were crappy. I just wouldn’t say anything. But this thing really works! It is awkward to hold, and difficult to pick up without defeating the purpose of the design (it keeps the warming effect of your hand to a minimum), but the shape concentrates the aroma of the wine as you drink, so you get a blast from both taste and smell. But I earned my wine stripes while drinking from $1 glasses, or more frequently, glasses that were given to me by wineries, back in the old days when wine tasting wasn’t like going to Disneyland. So I feel like I am betraying my roots.
When I appear in my kitchen wearing a monogrammed, double-breasted chef’s jacket, and a toque — somebody shoot me…please!
I have one of these. I received it as a Hanukkah gift. I progressed through the following stages: 1) not understanding how to hold it, 2) understanding how to hold it but feeling too awkward to use it in front of guests, 3) using it while mocking it in front of guests, 4) realizing just how damn effective it is, and the final stage: 5) feeling smug and superior to all the losers holding stemmed glasses. The only downside is that, as the ad claims, it does accentuate the flaws that might go unnoticed if one were to consume the wine from a jelly jar or straight out of the bottle. Still…makes a great holiday gift.
It’s Riedel or nothing (yes, I know my pomposity does not exactly creep)
Try the Ravenscroft. It is a lot of fun, but decidedly weird.