Be prepared to disbelieve. Sure, a smelly glass can hurt a wine's aroma. A dingy glass can make it harder to judge the clarity.
Many people seem to think so.
Riedel Glas, an Austrian glass maker, is staking its future on it. A few lucky Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival attendees can judge for themselves Friday, April 7, when Jozef Tomicheck of Riedel and John Roenigk of the Austin Wine Merchant will lead a tasting comparing Riedel glasses with other brands using the same wines. I can't wait to see for myself. When the Wine and Food Festival added a second tasting, it also completely sold out. Johann Christoph Riedel started making fine glassware in 1756.