The ninth generation of Riedel glass makers, Claus Josef Riedel but also referred to as "the Professor" (was rather stylish and had a fondness for Harley Davidsons) came up with idea that was as simple as it was brilliant. "Why not let the shape of the glass determine its contents?" I'll try to explain this so it's as easy to understand as possible. First a glass with an oversized bowl is used to bring out and display the full-bodied bouquet of Grand Vin type wines of Bordeaux. On the other hand though, using a glass with a large bowl like the one mentioned above for a fresh, chilled wine would cause excess evaporation and the wide surface area would regretably warm the wine prematurely. Yet then again it is impossible to say that a glass with a capacity greater or less than 300cc will not provide the conditions to bring out 100% of a wines potential. Next, when speaking of the relationship between the glass and human perception the direction and intensity of the flow of wine into the mouth and onto the tongue depends on the design of the bowl and especially the cut and shape of the rim (for example a flared mouth). It is quite surprising the difference in the flavor perceived when the wine is directed towards the tip of the tongue as opposed to the sides or even the back of the mouth. For an easy example let's try out a fruity, well chilled Riesling served in a large (more than 500cc) glass meant for Bordeaux. First the wine that we proposed due to the size and shape of the rim will gush into the mouth in a wide and intense stream that first strikes the tip of the toungue but from there quickly slides to the back until finally rolling to sides. When the wine touches these taste "zones" in this manner the overall impression is an enhanced sour taste. Moreover this wine that is supposed to be served chilled in this size bowl will all too quickly turn luke warm. And it is inversely true that a highly tannic wine that possesses a rich bouquet can not be fully enjoyed in the much smaller (less than 300cc) tulip-shaped glass for Rieslings no matter how gorgeous the flared rim might appear. First of all the capacity is too small to open up the wine and transmit its bouquet. Secondly, the flow of the wine due to the shape of the rim and the small size of the glass sends it in a choppy and intense stream towards the back of the tongue which is sensitive to astringence. Since it is sent straight to the back of the tongue, not only is the initial impression of the wine bitter, but so is the aftertaste. These are just two simple examples, but I encourage you to test this yourself at home. However, your experiment would only be half fulfilled if you weren't to test the olfactory effects as well by plunging your nose into the glass. By all means do not forget this important step both before and after tasting your wine. This as well will undoubtedly change with the size and shape of the bowl as well. Lastly, since I probably have you wondering if you are using the right glass or not, I feel that I should give you some pointers on choosing the right glass. (Please forgive me if you object because these are merely my opinions) First and to many most importantly price! For 20 year olds, 30 year olds, 40 year olds, and so on the same amount of money seems to have a different value doesn't it? Now, let's forget soda glass and semi crystal glasses here (see the explanation of these in the last episode of Buyers Eye # 5). Recently, thanks to a worlwide wine boom, the price over very decent and highly enjoyable wine has dropped to around \1500 and there are some very fine deals to be found for less than \1000, so why not spend some of the money that you save on wine for higher quality glass. So instead of gulping beer everyday to unwind why not sip on a glass of wine (considering the alcohol content and outrageous tax on malt beverages in this country it is probably the same price if not cheaper), or for your next get-together add wine to menu at your little fiesta instead of the usual libations. For these sorts of festive occasions I was thinking isn't it just fine to use cups instead of stemware? There is a tendency towards increased spending on glasses with the purchase of what is often interpretted as "finer" wines. But to assert the idea that the more you spend on a glass the better is not always correct. In my opinion the best glass is one that serves the your interests best and a fitting price. Riedel offers a wonderful assortment of wonderfully designed full-lead crystal products that all represent the idea of "functional beauty." These glasses beaming with spectacular transparency and a "crystal clear" ring for resounding toasts play second fiddle only to the likes of glasses made by the world renowned blowers Baccarat and Saint Louis. These nearly super humanly thin glasses are as artistic and elegant as they are expensive, but their cuts and capacities are not fit for truly appreciating wine. Time after time these Buyer's Eyes seem to get longer and longer, but this is a topic that is truly important, and glass' "ability" and "charm" is something that I am passionate about. Anyways, with the changing seasons maybe you can find some new pleasure in wine from my bits of advice and commentary.

EPISODE 5 --- About Glasses Part 1

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When posed with the question "Of all the wine accessories what is the most important?" I must reply in my honest opinion "Without a doubt it is the wine glass." To hopefully aid your understanding of why I feel this way the focus this episode will be the particular materials in glasses and the next will deal entirely with the design of glasses.

Except for special glasses (such as heat resistent ones) wine glasses can be categorized into 3 general types. The principal materials in these glasses are all "sand." The first one that we will look at that is made from sand is soda glass which is produced in large quantities and is said to be the most basic variety. It is made of 70%-75% silicon sand, about 15% soda ash (oxidized soda) as well as combining nearly equal parts of oxidized calcium and oxidized magnesium. This glass due to its wide production is widely used for all sorts of everday needs. The second is crystal glass. The use of the word "crystal" is reflective of the colorless and amazingly transparent characteristics this type of glass shares with the stone by the same name. Basically when you are talking about crystal glass you are referring to glass that contains lead. If it is made without lead, you are talking about a glass that's called "kali crystal" which is the 3rd type that I want to discuss. Here's a quick list of crystal types in order of lead content from greatest to least: -Full lead crystal glass (Average lead greater than 30%) -Lead crystal glass (Average lead greater than 24%) -Semi crystal glass (Average lead greater than 10%) The other materials are silicon sand (about 50%-55%) and oxidized calcium (about 13%-17%). The lead gives the crystal a unique color because it increases the refraction of light bestowing the glass with a special luster and transparency as well as decreasing its solvency. The lead the glass contains also gives it its characteristic metallic "ping" when clinking glasses together. This glass is also used for things such as high quality dishes and handicrafts because of the ease with which it can be cut and coated. High quality crystal containing more than 30% lead is employed for glass that is to be etched with beautifully detailed cuts because it is important for the glass to be relatively soft. Recently there has been a lot of manufacturing of full lead crystal and glass containing about 24% lead (such as Riedel which has been called the world's foremost glassmaker), now I think about it what I had catagorized above as 3 categories could probably be categorized more simply as two: full lead crystal (anything with a content greater 24%) and semi crystal lead (anything greater than 10%). Lastly, I need to explain one last type a modernized crystal glass made by the famous German glass maker Schott Zwiesel known both as kali crystal or Bohemian crystal. This glass mentioned above uses a high ratio of calcium oxide instead of lead (about 15%) as well as about 70%-75% silicon sand, and about 5% magnesium oxide. This glass known for its "strength and light weight" is more transparent and lusterous than soda glass and whose beauty is second only to full lead crystal. The manufacturing of this glass has been praised recently for the fact that it is more "earth friendly" than its leaded crystal counterpart. The use of calcium oxide is more ecological, and it polishes up very nicely. Many airlines and restaurants around the world have begun using these for both reasons. Sorry, for being so technical above. I will try to steer clear of boring data and explanations in the future. I assure you that the next episode will be quite enlightening. I will be touching on the ideas of what makes a good wine glass, and how the design affects the way you can enjoy wine.

EPISODE 4 --- Accessories to Preserve Your Wine (Wine Savers)

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Happy New Years everyone! I struggled a little to when trying to pick just the right topic for the first Buyer's Eye of 2000, but I think my choice to discuss a fairly standard wine accessory, the wine saver, is rather fitting. The wine saver is great for us Japanese whom love wine, but compared to Europeans and Americans are weak when it comes to alcohol. There's almost no way you are going to polish off a bottle in a night, and what if you don't want to drink glass after glass of the same variety. I mean today you might be in the mood for a full bodied red wine, but tomorrow you are just as likely going to want to enjoy a nice young chardonnay! If you live by yourself and open up a fine wine, you will definhitely want to preserve what is left over. And even if the bottle is not that expevsive, I am sure that you are still going to want to preserve what you have.

Well, these wine savers come in 3 different varieties. The first consists of rubber stoppers with plastic pumps that effectively suck out all the air in a bottle creating vaccum like emptiness. This type differs from country to country and has a number of different names including wine saver/pump, vaccum, stopper, freshener, etc., but the function of these remain the same in every market. Anyways let's take a quick look at these. When using one, there are as should expected difinite pros and cons. The stopper is grooved in order to ensure easy use with the pump and the "air tight" rings are made of simple, cheap rubber which is easily deformed with normal use. This will inevitably lead to a not so "air tight" seal which defeats the whole point of contraption, and will require eventual replacement of the stopper. There also exists stoppers where the inner part of the valve uses this same type of rubber to further prevent air leakage (wine saver from US's Epicurian Co.) There is another type from Germany that has the basic design but uses expensive and high quality rubber to cut down of leakage ane extend the life of the item. (This German-made stopper is not currently available in Japan) Next, is a product used in resaurants in England and California's Sonoma and Napa valleys to block oygen from coming in contact with the surface of the wine in the bottle and oxidizing the contents. This uses the basic fact that nitrogen is naturally heavier than oxygen and when added to a bottle creates a "gas lid." The California made "Private Preserver" which is more affordable than the English equivalent is now being sold in Japan and can be found in specialty stores. Since the thrifty Japanese aren't to keen on the idea of a disposable saver the first stopper variety is much more prevalent, and the use of this "gas lid" variety has been deemed a product for pros and is mainly limited to hotels, restaurants, wine bars, and tastings. The one draw back to this is that after being poured into the bottle the effect it has does begin to diminish when the surface of the wine is stirred or shaken. Lastly, Riedel sells decanters that also serve as wine savers. The capacity of these range from 290cc all the way up to a whopping 5,150cc (the standard wine bottle size is 750cc). You might be asking, "isn't that a primitive solution to the whole problem? I mean all you're doing essentially is putting a lid on top of a bottle." And you would be right, but isn't it also the most rational? It requires you to cap it quickly to ensure the best results, but it is also the most fail-proof means of all the ones that have been discussed. I have just introduced you to 3 different and effective instruments to help protect your wine from unwanted oxidation, so y'all mull over what I have said and figure out which means best suits you. What is that? You said that because you come to polish off 1 to 2 bottles at a time? Well, that's an even better way to make sure your wine doesn't go bad. Cheers to good wine!!

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