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Riedel Grape Series Chardonnay Glass (twin pack) (6404/5)
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From its beginnings in northern Bohemia down to this day, for 11 generations and 250 years, Riedel Glass has stood for the high art of glassmaking. So much more than mere receptacles, Riedel decanters and glasses are imbued with the idiosyncrasies of the wine they are charged to accentuate, turning wine consumption into a graceful, prosaic experience.
The Riedel glass designs are based on the exceptional characteristics of each grape variety, which in turn determines the shape, size and rim diameter of the bowl.
The latest machine blown technology, in conjunction with the seamless pulled stem, offers a special design feature, which creates an indent on the bottom of the bowl, reflecting the light and adding another dimension to the lively color of wine.
Chardonnay in a paragraph (or three): Grown in more regions worldwide than any other grape and second only to Spanish favourite Airén in terms of density amongst white wine grapes, Chardonnay, more than any other varietal, has come to define the schism between the old and new world of wine. An ease of cultivation coupled with a capacity to adapt to varying environmental conditions, saw Chardonnay (particularly Australian and Californian) blaze a trail through export markets in the 1980’s. Naturally European purists riled at this glut of cheap, fruity, generically labelled wine, causing a stigma that is still felt today, despite the quality and fruit improving dramatically.
Like most grapes, Chardonnay’s assumed lineage is a contradictory ménage of myth, tale and fabrication; modern DNA analysis has cut a swathe through all that, isolating the ‘peasant grape’ Gouais Blanc as one parent and the ‘Godfather grape’ Pinot Noir, as the other. In many ways this parentage perfectly reflects the modern view of Chardonnay as both an important old world varietal (it’s commonly used in genuine Champagne), as well as a new world scourge.
The Judgement of Paris wine competition in 1976 is commonly regarded as the launching pad for new world wines into the global market. Long considered unrivalled in terms of excellence, French Chardonnays (and some Cabernet Sauvignons) were pitted against Californian counterparts in a blind tasting. The controversial success of the Californian (1st place and 3 in the top 4) vineyards, garnered enough publicity to herald a new era in global wine consciousness. This fresh perceived wisdom completely changed the marketplace, taking the focus off of French idiosyncrasies (they still labelled their wines by region, not grape), and onto market demand and quantity. Wine had become a commodity.
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