RIEDEL Performance

The shapes are named after grape varieties, and that is not a label but the heart of the design. The 44 cl Sauvignon Blanc is the narrowest bowl and holds crisp, acidic white wine together. The 62.3 cl Riesling and the 72.7 cl Chardonnay grow wider in turn, with the Chardonnay giving room to wine that has spent time on oak.

On the red side, the 83 cl Pinot Noir is the roundest and lowest, because that grape releases volatile aromas you want to catch in a wide bowl. The 83.4 cl Cabernet is taller and straighter and steers firm tannins towards the middle of the tongue. If you would rather have one size for everything, have a look at the large wine glasses.

Never pour beyond the widest point of the bowl. With an 83 cl Pinot Noir that comes to around 15 cl of wine, which seems little but is exactly the intention: you need the empty space to swirl without spilling.

Turn the glass a few times with the foot on the table, wait a moment, and only then smell. The 37.5 cl champagne glass is wider than a classic flute and therefore suited to a Bellini or a Mimosa, where you want to be able to smell the fruit.

Performance is machine-blown from lead-free crystal glass. Machine-made means an even wall thickness, which makes the glass better able to handle the dishwasher than mouth-blown crystal.

Stand the bowls upright in a basket with supports, not tilted in among other dishes, because the stem is the weak point. After rinsing, always hold a glass by the bowl and not by the foot when you dry it, so you do not twist the stem loose.

If you want to see which other series this house offers, take a look at the brand page for RIEDEL, where the flat-bottomed models can be found as well. For the wider range of bowls for red there is the red wine glasses category, and for the narrower models the white wine glasses. If you want to let a robust wine breathe before it goes into the glass, have a look at the decanters.