Wine Tasting / Wine Glasses

I went to a wine tasting event today, but it was more of a wine glass seminar, hence where it was held (Riedel Wine Glass Store in Aoyama 1-chome).  For Y4,000 you're able to sample 2 white wines (Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay), 2 reds (Pinot Noir and Cabernet) and at the end you receive a free Riedel wine glass of your choice.  

During the wine seminar we were given one typical "izakaya" style wine glass and 4 different Riedel glasses (1 Sauvignon Blanc glass, 1 Chardonnay glass, 1 Pinot Noir glass, and finally a Merlot/Cabernet glass). Tasting the same wine in the various glasses given there was notably a big difference.   For example, we poured a Chardonnay wine in the Riedel Sauvignon glass, the Riedel Chardonnay glass, and the so-called "izakaya" glass and it was quite amazing on how different the flavor and the aroma was in each wine glass (the Chardonnay glass was the winner in this test). 


Wine glasses actually matters.  I am not suggesting to go buy a full set of  Riedel wine glasses; however if you are going to pick a Riedel glass as your primary source, the representative did mention that the most popular is the Sauvignon glass as it is the most versatile (rose wines, both Sauvignon and Chardonnay whites, and some sparkling wines work fine in their Sauvignon glass). After this experience I realized that the shape of the wine glass is very important.   In conclusion, if you want to enjoy a wonderful bottle of wine then don't kill it by using a glass which you bought from Don Quijote or from the nearby 100 yen store.  Just invest a bit and buy a glass that looks and feels like a wine glass.


Summary: More about the wine glass, than the wine, but still good overall
Rating: NA
Purchase Cost: Y4,000 (1 hour seminar, 4 wines, plus a free Riedel glass to take home)
Other Japanese Retailers: NA
USA Retail Price: NA
Food: Be sure to eat something before you go because the wine sampling is generous.