I dunno.  When I worked in the wine industry we had three different glasses we relied upon when selecting for our restaurant*.  Champagne flute, Bordeaux & Burgundian.  That was more than 25 years ago – back when a really good vintage of Napa Valley Cabernet went for less than $100 a case, not a bottle.  In Oregon Pinot Noir was limited to just a few acres and you could still buy Grand Cru French wines for a reasonable price. They were aged a bit as well.

These days I don’t have access to the wines I once did and won’t pay for what is stocked at stores, unless it’s champagne.  I’ve found I can rely upon and afford the top French champagne houses, but can’t even begin to regularly afford or acquire the fine houses of Burgundy, Bordeaux or even the Loire. For $35 I can get a really nice bottle of some bubbly from Épernay or Reims and for half that price a delicious sparking Blanquette de Limoux from southern France that comes with history and charm.  California sparklers, while nice, generally are too severe for my taste buds and the romance just isn’t there for me – heck that’s a big part of wine drinking.

But from what I can tell of recent wines I see for $35 (or better) they are too young, too high in alcohol and are nearly still swirling in the bottle when placed on the shelf.  Certainly there are some good wines out there – but not for the prices being asked. OK – not for my pocket book.

I’ve been to several restaurants and homes where supposedly ‘fine’ wines were being served. Often it’s only popular because there is so damn much alcohol in it. Too much to enjoy the texture and subtle flavors – which one would have a difficult time finding anyway, because the stuff is so young.

Well, for all of the folks I’ve witness guzzling this semi-decent stuff and proclaiming it ‘outstanding’ – there is a new glass just for you.  Self-proclaimed the “Greatest Wine Glass” – no small claim that – the web site offering this great find reads like a QVC pitch-man:

Silhouette Wine Glasses

Enhance your senses and enjoy wine to the fullest. Our crystal, hand crafted stemware ships to you individually in a handsome gift box. Take advantage of our introductory prices and save as much as $28 per glass. Plus save all shipping and handling with the purchase of four or more.  In order to gather many testimonials from this introductory launch, we are taking $24 off the $78 regular price. This means you can purchase this extraordinary crystal Silhouette wine glass for only $54.  Your “greatest wine glass” experience is guaranteed so all risk is eliminated.

A list of ‘benefits’ include these two gems:

- Take this ultimate conversation piece to your favorite restaurant or cocktail party. Maintain eye contact and enjoy your favorite wine at the same time. You won’t need a charm around this stem as who can mistake your Silhouette; although some may try just to have the opportunity to drink from it.

Wine pouring into the "bite" of the Silhouette glass

- Confidently pour like an expert each time! Silhouette has a proprietary design that uniquely allows the neck of a wine bottle to interact directly with the bowl. Smoothly pour while eliminating splashing, spilling, and dripping while either comfortably holding the stem or simply into a sitting glass. The nose notch opening at the 16 ounce point serves dual duty as a visual guide so as not to over-pour the typical six ounces.

Oh I can just see the faces of sommeliers when someone pulls this baby out.  Yep.  Bringing your own glassware to the restaurant is a true sign of wine knowledge.  So – you gotta have one? Need one? In these troubled times would this make you feel whole?  I’m sure you will be relieved to know the regular price per glass of $78 +s/h is reduced to only $54 + s/h.  Of course if you wish to stock up on these wonders you can order 4 or more and pay only $50 per glass and they comp the shipping and handling. Gosh.  Such a deal!

CLICK HERE for all the important details!