SALE ALERT: HUGE Riedel sale at Williams Sonoma

Anyone who considers themselves an oenophile knows and appreciates a good wine glass.  With that said, Riedel is one of the best glasses out there, and it is our brand of choice for wine glasses.

We have a plethora of different Riedel glasses, but my favorite is the Riedel Sommeliers Bourgogne (Burgundy) Grand Cru Glass.  Sure, this glass is mainly meant for pinot noir and Burgundy, but I have been known to drink other varietals out of these glasses.  This is or go to glass when going to offline tastings, and just a gorgeous glass, albeit a bit oversized.

Today, we stopped in our local Williams Sonoma, and found these glasses being blown out at $61 a pair.  WHAT?????  This cannot be right.  We originally purchased two of these glasses, which retail for over $100 a piece, so when I saw these at $61 a pair, I jumped on 4 of them.  In all actuality, I am tempted to go back and get another 4, but we'll wait 'til next weekend to see if they get marked down again.  You just never know.

Even so, at $61 a pair, it is basically like buying one glass, and getting 3 free.  What a bargain!  So get down to your local Williams Sonoma, and see what kind of Riedel bargains they have.  This isn't the first time we have come across a Riedel sale that we couldn't pass up, and I'm sure it won't be the last!  Cheers!  -F. Scott

What is your "go to" wine glass

You've all heard me talk about wine glasses a million times, but I have never really asked the question as to what your "go to" wine glass is. For us, it really depends on what wine we are drinking. We do drink a ton of pinot noir, and most of the time when drinking pinot we'll use the Riedel Vinum Burgundy glass, or the Riedel Oregon pinot noir glass, also called the XL. If it's a tasting we are going to with the other oenophiles and we're dinking pinot noir or Burgundy, our go to glass is the Riedel Sommeliers Bourgogne (Burgundy) Grand Cru Glass, which is an absolutely gorgeous glass! When going out with friends however, these Burgundy glasses listed above are a bit hard to transport with their larger bowls, and it really is hard to fit 4 in the Riedel carrying case. So for Valentine's Day this year, Zelda picked up 6 of the Riedel Grape Syrah glasses for me from William-Sonoma, and these are the perfect glasses to transport to a tasting or a BYO. Like other Riedel glasses, these have the very nice thin rim that you just want to bite, as well as a nice bowl. I find that this bowl works well for both white wines, as well as red wines. The bowl is sleek shaped, and comes to a point at the bottom, which adds a very nice element when there is wine in the glass. In my opinion, this is a great all around glass for anything from syrah, to cabernet and Bordeaux, to Burgundy and pinot noir, to chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. It's just a good all around glass, and it won't break the bank at $35 a piece. So that being said, what is your go to glass? Cheers! -F. Scott

The Secret To Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

Everyone has their secret to making "the best mashed potatoes," but here is a simple hint that I feel that many people do not take advantage of. In my opinion, once you make your mashed potatoes this way, you will never go back!

Many people will swear by using a hand mixer, or a Kitchen Aid mixer to get the best texture in their mashed potatoes, but there is really nothing easier, that gives you such a rich, airy, velvety texture than a ricer.

I got Zelda a ricer for Christmas two years ago, and we have never made mashed potatoes any other way since. This particular ricer came from Williams Sonoma, and can be seen HERE. Needless to say, it works like a champ as it proved tonight, and there is nothing like them. Check it out, and I think you will be pleasantly surprised! Cheers!

Riedel Stemware SALES ALERT at Williams Sonoma

After spending a gorgeous January day on campus in Princeton, we stopped in The Market Fair on Route 1 to visit some of the stores that we enjoy to browse: Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, and Restoration Hardware. After a quick stop in Pottery Barn, we headed over to Williams Sonoma where we ran into some great sales! Williams Sonoma always has a table in the back where they have many of their sale items, and they just happen to be blowing out some of their Riedel crystal. Today, we were lucky enough to stumble across 5 of the Riedel Sommeliers Rosé Glass, regularly priced at $74 per glass, on sale for $9.99. The Sommelier Series contains their top of the line glasses, and these truly are a work of art. Note that there is no sales price online on Williams Sonoma's website (linked above), so you have to find these in a store.

There has also been some banter on the different wine boards of foks finding other bargains from Riedel, such as decanters, glass sets, and other Riedel items. So if you get a chance, stop by your local Williams Sonoma and see what they have. If they have anything interesting, feel free to leave a comment here to give our readers a heads up of as to what you found, and where you found it! Thanks, and as always, cheers!