Your Mom Deserves Nice Stemware

Your Mom Deserves

Nice Stemware

BY RICCARDO TARABELSI

What kind of wine glass does your mom use? If it’s anything but Riedel, get ready to blow her mind. The 11th generation Austrian glass company has been the leader in the stemware industry for a very long time. When it comes to enjoying your favorite fermented beverage, there is no question that the art and science of Riedel stemware makes the wine-drinking experience that much better. Need proof? Try the following “experiment” with your mom and astonish her senses.

Items you will need:

• Riedel Burgundy stemware (the Vinum line is a nice one to start with or splurge on the brand-new Wine Wings Pinot Noir Glass!) • A “Joker” glass (any inexpensive wine glass with a rolled lip.) • A good bottle of Russian River Pinot Noir (Two wineries I would recommend are J or MacMurray Ranch.)

Rolled Lip

Riedel Glass “Joker” Glass

Arrange the two glasses in front of you, Riedel glass on the right and Joker glass on the left. Pour about 4 oz. of your Pinot Noir in the Riedel glass first. Swirl vigorously. Now get your nose in there and smell, really smell. Pick out the nice cherry aromas and perhaps a hint of chocolate or licorice. According to Georg Reidel (10th generation glassmaker) in order to properly smell a wine, your nose needs to be inside the glass so far that your upper lip rests on the rim of the glass. And if you’ve ever been to a glass tasting with Georg Reidel, you better do what he says!

Now, comes the fun part: Pour the contents of your Riedel glass into the Joker glass. I’ve been to tastings where the same wine is poured into two different glasses, and the two are compared. Doing it this way is much more powerful. You see, when you physically pour the Pinot Noir that’s in your Riedel glass, your brain is processing the fact that it’s the same exact wine in both glasses. Now, just smell your Pinot Noir in the Joker glass. Smell anything different? Smell anything at all? Smell your empty Riedel glass, just for fun. Smell anything now?

I won’t ruin the experience for you by describing the outcome in detail, but I think you get the idea. Remember to transfer your wine back to your Riedel glass and finish enjoying your wine the way it was meant to be.

Quench Your Summer Thirst!

Mint Julep

Mint Simply Syrup 2 Cups Sugar 2 Cups Water 1 Cup Mint Leaves Celebrate the Derby!

Mint Julep

Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil just until the mixture turns clear. Bruise the mint leaves (I rub them between my hands gently) and add to the hot mixture and simmer for a few minutes. Let the mixture cool and put in the refrigerator overnight. If you don’t have time to steep the mint simply syrup overnight, strain the leaves from the cooled mixture and use right away. I like to give the syrup plenty of time to let the flavors develop. Either way, strain the leaves prior to use. Fill a glass or julep cup (they get nice and cold and are really pretty) with crushed ice and add 3 oz of your favorite bourbon and 2 Tbsps of the mint simple syrup. Stir until your glass is frosty and cold. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Hint: for your guests who don’t drink, the simple syrup is wonderful to sweeten ice tea. Add a sprig of mint as well for a festive glass.

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Anybody can tell you that this glass is better than that glass, but nothing replaces your own experience doing this fun exercise. So this year for Mother’s Day, enhance your Mom’s wine with a set of Riedel glasses and give her the gift that keeps on giving, or in some cases, the gift that gets used daily. Carpe Vino!

When Riccardo isn’t writing about wine and glasses, he and his wife, Marybeth, can be seen playing with wine and glasses at R Wine Bar and Kitchen on the East Bank of Downtown Sioux Falls. Riccardo and Marybeth, have three boys, Dante, Berent, and Jaxon. Happy Mother’s Day MB!

Get in touch: riccardo@rwinebar.com

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