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Which Glass is Best for Kool-Aid?
Last Friday, the San Francisco Chronicle ran a big ad for Riedel stemware, disguised as an article about the way that the shape of a glass affects the taste the wine. I love my Riedel glasses, but author Richard Hacker forgot to ask some interesting questions.
What of the research that Daniel Zwerding described in Gourmet two years ago, when a clinical, scientific trial found the Riedel claims to be bunk?
What of the superbly untested and unquestioned Riedel claim of a tongue's "flavor map?"
If glass shape is so specific, why didn't Riedel change the Spiegelau shapes after acquiring the competitor?
For that matter, why do Riedel's many product lines have different shapes? Todd Wernstrom, my editor at The Wine News, once noted that the same wine tasted different in each of the lines. And not necessarily better in the better glasses. So does Riedel actually know what they're doing?
Finally, does the world need another Riedel puff piece?
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A Super Market
What did you do during Summer vacation? I went to a supermarket. Actually, I seek out all kinds of markets every time I travel. I try to visit farmers markets, covered indoor markets, tailgate markets, you name it. I like seeing what's on offer,...
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Beer Glasses (not Goggles), Sf Chronicle
Delve into wine even a little bit, and you'll quickly discover the fetishistic appreciation of glassware. Crystal companies have made serious bank convincing the world that it needs a different wine glass for every style of wine, a marketing message...
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The Art Of Decanting
A few years back, I took a one-day CIA class named State of the Art Professional Wine Service. Not all the lessons stuck: To this day I have a 10 percent chance of pulling out a cork with an Ah-So opener and a 90 percent chance of shoving it into the...
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Some Reasons To Try Barney's
Melissa and I went to Barney's last night. For those outside the Bay Area, Barney's is a local chain of gourmet hamburger restaurants. I find their burgers decent, especially now that I've learned to avoid the specialty burgers with their...
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Crystal For The Dark Star
The Dark Star was an all-black ship featured in Douglas Adams's classic Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. Black buttons, black lights, the works.
If one were to be a passenger on the ship, the best way to drink some wine before you died...
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