Broken Glasses

[stevebody]

I'm going to chime in here with the idea that the shape of the glass, rather than the composition, is the prime determining factor in effectiveness of a wine glass. I get my everyday stuf at Cost Plus, at $3.99 a stem, and it's exactly the same size and shape as my Reidels but is not crystal. Works just fine, with no noticeable differences in flavor. I'm a klutz, so I'm going to break my Reidels - not a question of if but when. I can break the Cost Plussers daily and not pop a bead. I start sweating when I bust up a $22 Bordeaux stem. I know what George Reidel says about shape and glass but I suspect that all of us, myself included, are a little swayed by the mere act of using a Reidel, so that the experience becomes far more subjective. Try the Speigelau Bordeaux A/B with the Reidel, blindfolded. I bet you'll find less difference than you think.