My question is more than a matter of personal curiosity. But I normally use the Vinum Bourgogne glass, which I bring along on my travels in a special carrying case made by Riedel. Riedel asks me to decide for myself and sets up a test. He walks me into his tasting room in Kufstein through a gallery where office workers type away on computers. There is a sink in a corner.
Natural light showers the room through windows that take up most of one wall.
Outside is a courtyard with an oval reflecting pool made of black stone. Through the window you can see the glassmaking factory, where more than 100 workers toil in a sweaty tempo, crafting about 2,500 handblown wineglasses a day. As we start tasting, Riedel looks very sure of himself. He holds his hands behind his back like a tutor inspecting pupils, studying the glasses on the table. He's poured the 1993 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon in half a dozen glasses, including the Vinum Bourgogne, the Sommeliers Hermitage, the Vinum Shiraz and a Pinot Noir glass from the Ouverture line .