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 XO
Item number: 4400/70
Height: 165 mm, 6-1/2"
Capacity: 170 ccm, 6 oz
Widest diameter: 67 mm, 2-5/8"
Price Category: $$$
Fine Crystal
Hennessy's top-quality brandies, such as XO and 'Paradis', are made from mature cognacs with an average age of at least 30 years. Over time, these cognacs lose harshness and acquire subtle, delicate flavours. The Riedel V.S.O.P. glass, deliberately designed to tone down any harshly alcoholic qualities, was found to suppress the fine bouquets of these venerable old brandies. What we were looking for was a shape that would concentrate their gentle nuances of bouquet and deliver the required intensity. We chose a small glass with a rounded 'belly' and a narrow 'chimney', through which these exquisite aromas could be funnelled. A sip from this glass of a brandy such as these is a truly outstanding tasting experience: fruit, body, finesse and fire.