Wine glass Tetris: Riedel's brilliant solution
Andi Healey
Web Manager
The Great Glass Rebellion:
I need to come clean about something.
For years, I've been telling people they need different glasses for different wines. Burgundy glass for Pinot Noir, Bordeaux glass for Cabernet, Champagne wine glasses for bubbles, separate glasses for Chardonnay, different shapes for cocktails...
I've watched perfectly intelligent people get so overwhelmed that they either spend fortunes building collections they barely use, or give up entirely and drink everything from whatever's handy.
I've created wine anxiety when I meant to create wine joy.
So this week, I'm doing something revolutionary.
Introducing Riedel's most rebellious idea yet - the Riedel Grape collection. Four glasses that will work for 90% of whatever you drink. Plus a Martini glass and a Champagne Flute.
The Cupboard Crisis That Changed Everything
I was reorganising my own glass cupboard last month and realised I'd accumulated 14 different types of glasses over the years - Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, cocktail, martini, port, brandy, whisky... the list went on and on…. And on.
As I stood there playing wine glass Tetris, trying to fit everything into limited space, I understood something ridiculous: I was using maybe four of these glass types regularly. The rest were gathering dust, taking up space, and making me feel guilty every time I ignored the "proper" glass to grab something easier to hand.
Even worse, I'd started avoiding certain wines because I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of fishing out the "right" glasses, washing them (before and after!), and then finding space to put them back again .
I'd created a system so complicated that even I - supposedly an expert - was being put off drinking good wine by my own advice.
Nice to know that Riedel had been thinking exactly the same thing...
Riedel's Brilliant Simplification
What Riedel has done with the Riedel Grape collection is genius. Instead of having 20+ different glass shapes for specific wines, they've created just six glasses that cover everything you could want to drink.
Grape Cabernet/Merlot/Cocktail - handles all your robust red wines plus cocktails like Negronis and Pina Coladas.
Grape Pinot Noir/Nebbiolo/Aperitivo - perfect for delicate reds and aperitif cocktails.
Grape White Wine/Champagne/Spritz - covers most whites, bubbles, and spritz cocktails.
Grape Chardonnay/Gin Tonic - for rich whites and your G&T.
Grape Martini - because some drinks just demand their own glass.
Grape Champagne Flute - for when you want traditional Champagne presentation (but aren’t too bothered about actually tasting it!)
Six glasses. Everything covered. I’m not turning my back on the Riedel grape specific glassware ethos, the shapes themselves are “correct” for their intended use, and admittedly these are a slight compromise. But they are great glasses, for a great price.
The Reality Check
Let's be honest about how people actually drink. You might have a special bottle that deserves full ceremony, but most drinking is more fluid (sorry!) than that.
You start with cocktails, move to wine with dinner, perhaps end with something different. You want to enjoy what you're drinking without consulting a manual about which glass to use for what.
The Grape collection handles all of these transitions seamlessly. Your Bordeaux will be great in the Cabernet glass. Your Champagne will sparkle beautifully in the White Wine glass. Your gin & tonic will taste exactly right in the Chardonnay glass.
The Storage Revolution
Here's something nobody talks about: glass storage. Traditional advice means you need space for red wine glasses, white wine glasses, Champagne glasses, cocktail glasses, martini glasses, plus extras for entertaining.
Most people don't have that kind of cupboard space. So they compromise, which usually means drinking everything from whatever's clean and available.
Six Grape glasses take up half the space of a traditional collection. For most people, that covers 100% of their drinking needs.
The Entertaining Game-Changer
If you entertain regularly, the Grape collection is a revelation. No more matching glasses to drinks throughout the evening. No more explaining to guests which glass to use for what. No more massive washing up sessions.
Everyone gets appropriate glasses for whatever they're drinking, everything tastes proper, and you can focus on conversation rather than glassware logistics.
Imagine an average dinner party. Six guests, drinks from cocktails through dinner wines to digestifs, everyone using appropriate Grape glasses. I’ll bet you a crispy fiver that no one will miss the "traditional" ones.
An evening about drinks and friendship, not equipment.
The Economic Revolution
Let's talk numbers. To properly equip yourself with wine glasses, you're looking at:
- Burgundy glasses: £40-60 per pair
- Bordeaux glasses: £40-60 per pair
- Champagne glasses: £40-60 per pair
- Light White wine glasses: £40-60 per pair
- Full Bodied White wine glasses: £40-60 per pair
- Cocktail glasses: £35-50 per pair
- Martini glasses: £35-50 per pair
That's £270-400 for six pairs covering the basics.
The complete Grape collection - six different glasses covering everything - costs a fraction of that. Even buying multiple pairs for entertaining, you're significantly ahead.
The Multi-Tasking Genius
What makes the Grape collection brilliant isn't just that each glass works for multiple drinks - it's how intelligently they've chosen the combinations.
The Cabernet glass works for cocktails because both benefit from a larger bowl that allows complex aromatics to develop.
The White Wine glass handles Champagne because both need shapes that preserve freshness while allowing some aeration.
The Chardonnay glass works for gin & tonic because rich whites and quality gin both benefit from a shape that moderates intensity, while highlighting subtle flavours.
It's not random - it's systematic genius.
Who This Approach Works For
The Grape collection approach is perfect if you:
- Drink various styles but don't want a glass mountain
- Have limited storage space
- Entertain regularly and want elegant simplicity
- Are building a collection and want maximum coverage efficiently
- Travel or have a second home where you want complete drink coverage without the full setup
- Actually want to use your glasses rather than save them for "special occasions"
The Purist's Dilemma
I know what some of you are thinking: "But what about the specific benefits of dedicated glasses? What about optimising each drink's potential? (Like you’ve been banging on about for so long)"
You're right. Riedel Grape is a bit of a compromise. A dedicated Burgundy glass will enhance great Burgundy in ways the Pinot Noir/Nebbiolo glass cannot quite match.
They may not be perfect for everything, but they are very good most things.
And wouldn’t you rather drink great wine from very good glasses regularly, and save your perfect glasses for specific bottles, on special occasions, that never seem to come round often enough?
The Grape collection gets you 80% of the way there with 20% of the complexity.
The Practical Test
This week, try something: think about what you've actually drunk in the past month - wines, cocktails, everything - and see if the Grape collection would have covered it all.
I did this exercise and realized that six Grape glasses would have handled literally everything I'd consumed, from morning coffee (yes, the White Wine glass works brilliantly) to evening rum.
The Simplification Sale
For this weekend, I'm putting my money where my mouth is and helping you revolutionise your drinking life.
Instead of my usual "specific glass for specific wines" advice, try this rebel approach: get complete coverage with the Grape collection.
Each pair’s RRP is £30, we currently have them, with 20% off, at £25, this week pay £20 per pair with code SIMPLE33 (‘cos you’re “simply” saving 33% off the RRP).
Want the complete set? Get all six styles (Cabernet, Pinot Noir, White Wine, Chardonnay, Martini and Champagne Flute glasses) for £120 instead of the £300+ I mentioned earlier.
Just want the basics?
We have a "Double Tasting Set" of 1 pair each of the Cabernet, Pinot, White Wine and Chardonnay glasses for only £75.00.
It’s also just occurred to me that this makes Grape the lowest priced Riedel stemware in over 10 years, so not only would they make a great introduction to “good” wine glasses for those people who aren’t quite convinced yet, but are ideal for first-timers, second homes, or anyone still drinking wine from IKEA goblets.
The Bottom Line
I've spent decades learning about drinks and glassware, and here's the bottom line: the best glasses are the ones you'll actually use with confidence and enjoyment.
The Grape collection represents something revolutionary - maximum versatility with minimum fuss. Everything tastes proper, nothing feels compromised, and you can stop thinking about your glassware and start enjoying what's in it.
If having dedicated glasses for each drink enhances your pleasure and you have the space and inclination to maintain that collection, continue doing what works, because it does work.
But if drinks have become complicated rather than enjoyable, if you're using good glasses less because you're worried about breaking them, or if you just want excellent experiences without the complexity, the Grape collection might just transform how you think about drinking.
Sometimes the best advice is the simplest: buy good glasses you'll actually use, pour good drinks into them, and enjoy them with people you care about.
Everything else is just detail.
Use code SIMPLE33 until midnight on Sunday 10th August - because good drinking should be simple.
Cheers!
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