Stemware at Flemings

[doviakw]

On a trip to San Diego, my wife and I ate at Flemings (they of 100 wines by the glass) steakhouse for the first time. The food was standard high-end steakhouse fare and the wine list was nice and a pretty good value as well. I was surprised, however, that their stemware was uniform regardless of wine variety (I didn't ask about sparkling): A rather large-volume, large bowl glass that appeared suitable, although pretentious, for most reds but I felt almost silly sipping a Sauv. Blanc from it.

Is this one-size-fits-all glass seen elsewhere in high-end, wine-forward restaurants? I haven't but I certainly have not made a study of it. It seemed unusual enough so that I noticed.

[Edited to get the city right]

Edited July 18, 2006 by doviakw (log)

[Blair P. Houghton]

Is this one-size-fits-all glass seen elsewhere in high-end, wine-forward restaurants? I haven't but I certainly have not made a study of it. It seemed unusual enough so that I noticed.

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[djsexyb]

wow, i have never ate at flemmings but do know that they're suppose to be a very wine focused restaurant, and am surprised to hear they use a universal glass.

i know many restaurants use this to try to save money, but the ONLY money saving option i would accept is a universal red glass and a universal white glass. it is highly doccunmented that differnet varietals/blends taste better from different size and shape glasses. riedel illustrates this overtly and frankly to excess.

when i was purchasing stemware for my company (see sig), a few of my employees and i tasted different wine glass shape, size, companies, etc, etc to find the optimum experience for given wine varieties and although purchasing stemware amounted to almost 50% of our total start up costs (which were substantial) i feel that it was money well spent because diners get the optimum experience for the price.

We have 2 white glasses: 12oz and 8oz regular shaped; 4 red glasses: 16oz and 12oz regular shaped, as well as 18oz and 20oz bowls; 1 oversized sparkling wine glass (roughly 7 1/2 oz--i feel these are easier to detect aroma, and easier to sip from). as well as a few liquor, martini glasses.

NOTE: we use an untraditional 4oz pour, i feel this works better in the kind of dinners we do.

for my money, different sizes/shapes does make a difference. just drink bordeaux from a bordeaux glass, then from an oversized bowl, then from an 8oz white glass, there difference is clearly evident.

sorry for the rambling, this is one of my pet peaves in restaurants and home service.

[PurpleLips]

I know of a high-end, high-profile restaurant in my home town that uses just one very large standard glass that I would normally not use for sauv blancs and others, plus keeps an even larger (!) Riedal for super-expensive wines (that way, the other customers can tell they've splurged ). While this place has some very legitimate space constraints, it also has a very respectable cellar. I think right now the trend to over-large glasses is winning out over more appropriate choices.