How to host a wine tasting at home with Riedel wine glasses

We recommend using Riedel glasses for the ultimate wine experience. Different types of wine have different characteristics and flavours; the size and shape of the wine glasses in the Riedel Veritas collection are designed to enhance the tasting experience and provide the ultimate clarity and balance for every type of wine.

How to host a wine tasting at home with Riedel wine glasses

Upgrade your wine tasting with RIEDEL glasses

To make it easier to get a variety of Riedel Veritas wine glasses for your DIY (do-it-yourself) wine glass tasting, we offer an extensive selection of glasses specifically designed for different grape varieties. Once you've chosen the right Riedel Veritas wine glasses, all you need to do is select the wine that pairs perfectly with the glasses in your set. This makes it easier than ever to take your wine tasting to the next level, with glasses that bring out the very best in the aromas and flavours of your favourite wines.

Wine Glass Tastings vs. Wine Tastings

Let's start with the difference between a regular wine tasting and a wine glass tasting:

Wine Tastings: At a traditional wine tasting, you typically sample a selection of wines from a single glass, with the focus on the qualities of the wine itself. You pour the wines into the same glass, swirl, smell, take a sip, and taste the wines to learn more about their backgrounds and characteristics.

Wine Glass Tastings: At a wine glass tasting, multiple wine glasses are used, and the focus shifts to how the size and shape of the glass affects the wine's characteristics. You take the same wine and taste it from different glasses, noticing how each glass changes the wine's expression.

The At-Home Wine Glass Tasting

When setting the table for an at-home wine glass tasting, we recommend placing the different Riedel glasses, each matched to the wines and grape varieties you want to taste. Make sure every glass is thoroughly clean before pouring. Open the bottles and fill each glass evenly. Pay close attention to serving the wine at the right temperature, as this has a significant impact on the tasting experience.

Running Your At-Home Wine Glass Tasting

Your at-home wine glass tasting is now ready to begin. Follow these steps for the best experience:

1. Start by preparing all the glasses, pouring each wine evenly into its designated glass.
2. Swirl each wine in its glass to mix with oxygen, which opens up the aromas and flavours.
3. Then smell each wine in its different glass. Note whether you can detect any differences — for example, try to identify which scent or flavour comes through most prominently in each glass.
4. Taste the wine from the different glasses and pay close attention to how the experience changes depending on the glass. This is the moment to truly discover how the size and shape of the glass influences the wine's expression.