Riedel Alternatives

December 2, 2005 11:52 AM

What are the best, low cost alternatives to Riedel stemware?

I understand that everyone loves Riedel, but I'm not willing to pay big bucks them. Spiegelau seems to get good marks as a an inexpensive alternative, and I'd love to have that thinking confirmed or have some other alternatives proposed. This has been asked before, but never really answered as that thread focused more on the safety of leaded crystal and less on good stemware.

posted by HiddenInput to food & drink (13 answers total)

Riedel nows flogs its (lower-priced) wares at Target, dontcha know.

I've heard Spiegelau is good.

I have stemware from Williams-Sonoma that I like, but I'm not much of wine snob.
posted by Sully6 at 12:02 PM on December 2, 2005

Check the forums on erobertparker.com for lots of advice on this topic. Spiegelau is quite good, though now owned by Riedel, so you don't see the great discounts showing up on Amazon that you used to.

Folks who work in restaurants can apparently order the Riedel "Restaurant" line -- the bowls have the same shape as the vinum line but are glass, not crystal, and much cheaper than the usual vinum stems. I haven't bought those, but I have used them and they are quite nice.
posted by chrisgrau at 12:14 PM on December 2, 2005

I have Reidel Vinum and the Williams-Sonoma glasses. The W-S glasses were recommended by Cooks Illustrated a few years ago as alternatives to Reidel. We put our glasses in the Dishwasher - I know, a big no-no. The Reidel glasses do not etch (get cloudy) the W-S etched badly. Even without the etching we still prefer the Reidels because of the thinness of the lip and feel of the stem.
posted by chrisdat at 12:21 PM on December 2, 2005

On the cheap end:

If you don't care about glass vs. crystal, I think that Crate and Barrel's Elite line is a really good value. Big bowls, long stems, thin lips: everything basic that you'd be looking for. Only two shapes, but unless you're really into wine, you can probably get by with that (ignoring champagne, of course). Personally, I like having stemware that I don't have to worry about breaking, but I'm a klutz...
posted by mr_roboto at 12:27 PM on December 2, 2005

My wife, who is knowledgeable in matters oenological, has gone with Pottery Barn's "Roma" stemware because it is reasonably sturdy and easy to replace.
posted by adamrice at 12:46 PM on December 2, 2005

I have some Bordeaux glasses from Ultra Vino that I really like. $15 CAD for four.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 12:48 PM on December 2, 2005

I have the lower-end Riedel "Ouverture" line, and they end up costing something like $6-7 apiece. They are not nearly as specialized as the higher-priced lines, but I still love them, and it's hard to get good glasses at a price much lower than that.

Of course they're awfully easy to break because the lip is so thin, but to me it's worth it, even if I have to buy new ones every year or two.
posted by lackutrol at 12:51 PM on December 2, 2005

The Reidel glasses do not etch (get cloudy) the W-S etched badly. Even without the etching we still prefer the Reidels because of the thinness of the lip and feel of the stem.

Sorry to hijack, but huh? Is one of those statements backwards?
posted by deadfather at 1:06 PM on December 2, 2005

Read the second sentence as "Even if the Reidels were not superior in regard to etching, we would still prefer them because of the thinness of the lip and feel of the stem."
posted by teg at 1:24 PM on December 2, 2005

Despite the best efforts of others I never did blossom into wine geek. However, you may want to look at the ISO tasting glass. A 'modest and invaluable investment' that is also ISO 3591 compliant!
posted by catdog at 1:41 PM on December 2, 2005

There's a wine bar in Philadelphia I've been to a few times.

I asked the owner about the really nice stemware he uses and he suggested that, if you don't mind quantity, you can buy stemware from restaurant supply stores (example).

It can be good value for the price, and if your guests break a few, you'll have plenty left.

Likewise, if you have a wine bar near you, you might ask the proprietor for advice.
posted by Rothko at 1:57 PM on December 2, 2005

I'm quite fond of the Riedel O glasses. They're not technically "stemware", as they have no stems, but they are pretty nice low-end everyday wineglasses, running about $8-10 per glass. They're surprisingly pleasant to drink from, and I find very little downside to the lack of a stem. They're easy to clean (they say they're safe to put in the dishwasher, but I don't), they're much less tippy than stemmed glasses, and they have varietal shapes.
posted by Caviar at 8:42 PM on December 2, 2005

Many of the higher-end wineries use Cristal d'Arques' "Mendocino" line. They're leaded crystal, have tall stems, thin lips and large bowls and are affordable enough to include in the price of a $6-10 tasting. That link is to a wholesaler, I wasn't able to find a retailer with a quick googling but I'm sure they're out there. If not, I can give you a list of wineries that could order them for you.
posted by cali at 11:53 AM on December 4, 2005