The Gabriel Glass – One Glass for all Wines


So you have this great bottle of wine you’ve been saving for ages, for a very special occasion. You go to your wine glass cupboard, but then comes the tough decision – which wine glass should you use to get the most pleasure from that special bottle of wine once opened?

There’s a myriad of wine glass styles and shapes, available from glassware manufacturers. Each promotes the special characteristics of their own range of glasses, to enhance the delivery of the bouquet to the nose and the flavours and textures to the palate, but which is best?

It can also be a bit expensive if you wish to have a selection of glasses for each wine – one glass for Pinot Noir, another for Chardonnay, others for Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Syrah, Aromatics… Which brand should I get? How much should I spend?

Is there really any benefit in using ‘grape specific’ glasses? The general consensus is yes, a wine-specific glass can, and does enhance the wine tasting experience. I’ve tried many glasses in my wine lifetime, from a number of great brands and I have to say that although I was skeptical in my early “wine formative” years, I now know from experience that it is true. Try a comparative tasting with different shaped glasses and see what you think! There are tutored tastings from time to time with some of the best wine glass manufacturers which I can recommend you participate in – it’s a great learning experience too!

Any Way – what if there was one all-round glass that delivered a great wine tasting experience with all wines; red or white, sweet or dry? “What’s more important to you – a cupboard full of glasses or a cellar full of wine?

Well, there is a new fine lead-free Austrian crystal wine glass now available in New Zealand; Martinborough’s Schubert Wines have been appointed exclusive importer of The Gabriel Glass© and thanks to Martina at Schubert, I have had a chance to try them out.

René Gabriel, a renowned wine writer from Switzerland has designed the ultimate wine experience – for him every little detail counts. “The secret is the Bouquet drive at the bottom of the glass that enhances the development of the aroma. The slightly conical glass design concentrates the bouquet regardless of white, red or sweet wines.”

It’s a fine delicate tulip shaped glass that looks and feels elegant! I grabbed a nice red from the wine rack and tried a comparative tasting with 3 other glasses: an XL5 tasting glass, one of our day-to-day glasses and a Burgundy / Pinot Noir Glass. The wine was a 2012 Calmel & Joseph Cotes de Roussillon Village – Syrah / Grenache / Carignan (Cheers Ray – you know who you are!) Nice wine too thanks!

I went back and forth from glass to glass but kept coming back to the Gabriel Glass; it was a vast improvement on both the XL5 and the day-to-day glass for enhancing the bouquet and delivering the wine to the palate – there was a slight improvement on the Burgundy glass – ever so slight but I do like the lightness, and elegance of the Gabriel Glass – lovely to hold and nice to drink from.

I shall try it again with a white wine as well, and I think it may very well be my ‘Go-To’ glass from now on. I would recommend that you grab one or two and try it for yourself – you may be pleasantly surprised.

To find out more about these glasses or order some, feel free to contact Schubert Wines : visit their website: https://www.schubert.co.nz/wines/gabriel-glass/

Schubert Wines Limited
The Official Distributor of -The Gabriel Glass© in New Zealand
57 Cambridge Road
Martinborough
New Zealand

Author’s Note: This Article was originally posted in 2015, the contact details have been update.

Share This Page / Post