Sommelier // Hermitage

Professor Claus J. Riedel was the first designer to recognize that the bouquet, taste, balance, and finish of wine was affected by the shape of the glass from which they are consumed. In the late 1950s, he began his pioneering work to create stemware that would match and complement different wines and spirits. Thin-blown and unadorned, he simplified the design to its essence: bowl, stem, base. The Sommeliers series was introduced in 1973 to turn every sip into a celebration. You don't need to be a wine writer, a winemaker, or an expert to taste the difference this glass can make.

The Hermitage glass is perfect for balancing the fruit pepper and spice aromas, and gripping tannins often found in medium-bodied red wines. Its accentuated egg-shaped bowl brings forward the soft fruit, earthy characteristics, and highlights a long savoury finish. It brings out the wine's silky, velvety structure and balanced flavors.

Recommended for: Zweigelt, Sangiovese, Valpolicella, Côtes du Ventoux, Nero d'Avola, Barbera, Priorato, Norton, St. Joseph (red), Touriga Nacional, Syrah Old World, Côtes du Roussillon, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Côtes du Rhône Rouge, Cannonau, Cornas, Mourvèdre, Malbec, Hermitage (Rouge), Cahors, Carignan, Montsant, Madiran, Côte Rôtie, Amarone, Blaufränkisch, Crozes Hermitage, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (rouge)