Some of the best advice we can offer is use good glassware. Glasses that are properly shaped and volume-sized for specific types of wine will provide a big increase in your enjoyment of that wine. Your $15 wine will smell and taste like you paid $30.

There is nothing to compare with the balance, function and sensuality of the Riedel Vinum red Bordeaux and red Burgundy glasses. Simply holding them is an enjoyment in itself. If you’re not ready to move into the expense of Riedels, we offer two value-priced lines – Oberglas and Bohemia -- that really get the job done. Oberglas glasses, which we discovered at the excellent Pocantico Hills restaurant, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, are virtual clones of Riedel except they are lighter in weight and heft. See Accessories for function-oriented wine tools.