The Korea Times

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2001 1 3

Riedel Wine Glasses
By Ken Kim
Times Wine Writer
F
or some. the ultimate plea-
sure of drinking wines does
not end with just any wine
glass - instead it must be a
Riedel glass. The best way I can
tell about Riedel glasses. without
going to any length, is ro ta.!k
about the glasses used by North
Korean President Kim Jong Il
during the receptions for dele-
gates from the South, which
most of you saw on TV. Many
wondered whv he had to have an
oversized glass with so lit
tle wine in it.
When someone savs Riedel, first
thine' that comes to mind is the
price tag. as certain hand-blown
models cost as much as 80.000
won per glass. I hate to say this
but my htmest hunch is that Riedel
will do well here in Korea as most
consumers here do buv thinzs that
are second to none regardless of First, the size of these glasses -
rhe tag. Best or not. the de- the large space inside "the glass
sign ofRi.edel glasses has sdentif- wasn't meant for liquid content
ic considerations to back such alone. What it is meant for is the
claims that these glasses indeed smell. better known as aroma or
give the ultimate pleasure of wine bouquet, to trap it for a length of
connoisseurship. time so that a person drinking the
Last week. a Riedel man from wine fro1u the glass will be able to
Austria was in town ro make a sense the bouquet more accurate
point of why 10 choose Riedel lv, With anv food substances,
glasses instead of others. This which include wine as welL the
event was held at the mouth or the palate a!<me will nm
Vinotheque of Grand Inter-Con be able to tell the true taste. Bv
tinent:tl Hotel in Samsungdong the way, wine is a. part of the food
and l didn t waste any time at - family and it is not an alcoholic
tending the presentation a$ it beverage alone.
was a opnortunitv For thO$C Jancis Robinson. a British author
who weren't w and wine educator, once concluded
be at prescnt:mon. l like to that her could not tell fruit
O'l<ikc that you will 11\\t juice from plain water when their
a th:ng ;ts r will be sharin_::: thi-; noses are plugged up during the
inform<Hion from the event with tasting. The function of the nose
you today. 'fhe Vinotheyuc is a and its ability to smell is an elen1ent
wine ;lw:trcrl$S program esta\:l- one cannot d\).Without. So you c;m
hshcd bY the food and get the idea as to why Mr. Kim was
depamricnt of the Grand Inte-r holding so little wine i.n a rather
Continental HoteL large wine glass. You also remem
uniformity of plainness as well as
a long stem, as they are common-
lv called stemware.
'The clean and transparent view
gives an accurate reading of the
wine's color composition while
the stem prevents fingerprints as
well as preserving the temperature.
Discussions were also focused on
the lead content in the product.
which is all too common in mak-
ing the crystal product more crys-
taL Mr. A. K. Y oo, the president
of Cave de Yin, the sole importer
for Riedel, assured us that the lead
content is about 25%, which is
way below the level of posing any
health hazard to humans.
For some, the name
Vinotheque may sound some-
what foreign as t.he name sounds
more !ike' a pre-standing wine
bar. Instead, this is a bold wine
educational project spearheaded
bv Gerald Moutte, the food and
beverae director ()f the massive
ber seeing wine judges sniffing hospitality op
wine as if they are detecting some eration. Mr. Moune is a French
kind of poison or something. born hmelier whose passion for
.Second comes the shape of the wine goes beyond the caH of bis
glass, which gives the ability to regular dutv as the food and bev-
swirlthe liquid content in it in Or . craze director. His commitment
dcr to have greater contact with to cultivating wine culture here
air. more accmately oxygen. A in Korea earned him the reputa-
smallcr rim and wider lower end tion as the most respected mod
is ideal for swirling wine. thus ern rime wine educator.
trapping the aroma for the nose. Under his careful direction. the
The wine stavs suffocated when it project has four components - a
is bon led because of the isolation Wine Course. a Food and Wine
from open air. wine Ex.periencc. a Grand Cro Dinner
wdl a new life. if vou and a Wine \hkcr Dinner. The
wilL 'when it is re-emerged into venue lt)r the project is the Grand
the Cafe on the lobbv level of the
The notion was more apparent original lnter-Continer.tal proper-
when J tried w1nc m a water tv in Sam$ung-don):. Prices are
The wat(;r glass l had here wa$ a :tnvwhere from lS.OiJO for a wine
rather simple (O.ur\e tO l 00.000 won for rhe
:br hJd wi<k-open rim. \ee'J. Grand Cm Dwncr. lt is a mttll
ks$lv to s;tv. the shape 3nd size bers only proict and i$ ideal for
Joe$. a frccdo.m for wmc those who wish to start their win-:
drinkers to swirl. :;ometimcs vio- culturl' in granJ stvie. :\rwone in -
knrly. without the fear of spi!l!ng lcrested sho,Jid .:ali (02) 5S5-5656
over. :\ll of these ghS$CS had the or email to seoui (J' intcrc(mti.com.
77