Good taste follows form

What it is: To many connoisseurs of fine wines, the thought of sipping a vintage Bordeaux from anything other than Riedel crystal stemware is anathema. The Riedel family claims that patriarch Claus was the first in history to recognize the effect of different-shaped wine glasses on the perception of the wine’s flavor and aroma. The stemware market was irrevocably changed three decades ago when he introduced his specialized “Sommeliers” series, the first glassware line designed around the wine poured inside.

What it’s all about: In 1986, Claus’ son Georg expanded the business by creating the less-expensive Vinum line, a machine-made collection of 21 distinct glasses designed for individual grape varietals.

Since then, more budget-friendly collections have been introduced, including the six-glass Ouverture series (billed as an “uncomplicated beginner series”), the more ornamental Vinum Extreme and Wine series, and the new O series of stemless wine tumblers, created by Maximilian Riedel, part of the family’s 11th generation.

Why we like it: It may sound dubious that the taste of the same wine can differ greatly when it’s served in two different glasses, but as anyone who’s attended one of Riedel’s numerous tasting classes can attest, it’s true. Admittedly, a $95 Sommeliers stem is not going to make your bottle of Two Buck Chuck taste like a premier cru Burgundy – in fact, it will illuminate all of its flaws. But even my weeknight pizza wine – Bonny Doon’s $10 Big House Red, which sports a less-than-snobbish screwcap – tastes markedly better in one of my Riedel Vinums than it does in the sturdy Target wine glass it replaced.

I recently attended a tasting class featuring the new O tumblers. I left with a whole new set of glasses: two each of the six offerings in the series. The O glasses share the Vinum line’s specialized bowl shapes, but without the delicate stem they’re stackable, less prone to breakage and – hurrah! – dishwasher safe. Best yet, they’re very affordable, with glasses averaging less than $10 each.

Specialized Riedel wine glasses at a price that allows me to restock my wine cellar? I’ll drink to that.