Have you ever had a nice glass of wine and looked down at the base and seen that smoke-colored name that every pronounces “ry-dell”? It’s Riedel (pronounced “re-dul”) as in George Riedel. All the way from Austria, I found out he was going to be at Sacramento’s Sheraton Grand Hotel doing a tasting. In Sacramento! Cancel all meetings.

With his Austrian accent and sharp wit, George guided us through a series of tastings in six different glasses, including the ubiquitous plastic cup you get at most park festivals. As the pinot noir went from the pinot glass to the chardonnay glass, George Riedel pointed out the green, hardness in taste and dramatic change in nose and taste. Pour the cabernet into the plastic cup then out again, and notice there is no nose. Plastic doesn’t hold aroma. The shape and size of the molecules change with the shape and size of the vessel. Outstanding.

“Think about French Oak vs. American Oak. French is slower growing creating a more grainy wood and that creates more oxidation in the barrel. These things in the glass all affect taste,” George told us. “The complication in glassware is noticeable. Functionality never ages.”