Morton’s Steakhouse and Riedel “Flow” stemware is quite the match in the coming months. Celebrating their 30th anniversary, Morton’s along with Riedel Crystal, is highlighting the difference a proper wineglass can have on a wine’s aroma and taste. Titled “From the vine to the glass”, It’s a great deal, for $65 you receive some really nice hors d’ oeuvre’s ( Filet mignon sandwiches, Broiled Sea scallops wrapped in Bacon, Chicken Goujonettes, and Key lime pie), four kick-ass wines (thanks to Jeff Yeck , at Southern Wine & Spirits), and four different pieces of crystal stemware from Riedel’s new “Flow” series ($60) to take home with you!

Jason and I had the pleasure to attend the Morton’s King of Prussia event Monday August 18. Nicole Morgenstern, Sales & Marketing Manager was our host, and did a nice job of coordinating the event. Doug Cohn, Regional Sales Manager for Riedel gave what ended up to be the best overall explanation and demonstration of how a wineglasses shape affects your ability to smell and taste all the aromas and flavors the winemaker intended to be there.

We wet our palates with Domaine Ste. Michelle Luxe 2000 ($19.59, Pa), a very nice Blanc de Blanc sourced from the Heily vineyard in the Columbia valley. After some chit chat with Doug and Jeff we sat down to four “Flow” glasses, one for each varietal, on top of placemats listing each wine under the stem. Flow is a new series that features a thicker stem where it meets the bowl and the bowl itself is double reinforced. I found them well balanced and light, definitely an option if you’re not careful when washing and drying. There was also the “Joker”, a small plastic cone shaped plastic cup.

First up was the Chateau Ste. Michelle Eroica ($30.29, Pa) a refreshingly dry Riesling that paired well with the Scallops, and later with the Oysters on the half shell I had with dinner. As with all the subsequent wines, Doug had us pour the Eroica into the “joker” to see what would happen to our ability to smell and taste the wine. In all four examples, the Joker plastic cup should have been renamed the “Black hole”, because it was as if the cup had somehow sucked the life out of the wines. We also evaluated each wine in all four glasses.

The second wine was Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Chardonnay ($28.99, Pa), in the Horse Heaven AVA. This wine was a big new world style, with lots of citrus and vanilla, and a long finish. Poured into the Riesling glass the wine was just okay, but in the Chardonnay glass the wine spoke mounds.

Next up was a real treat, 2006 Erath Pinot Noir from Oregon. Riedel recently released a new shape specifically for Oregon’s cooler climate Pinot Noir, and consulted with Oregon Winemakers to capture the unique Terroir. Tasted in the Chardonnay glass the wine lost its distinctive nose, but in the Oregon Pinot Noir glass the earth and dark cherry nose really shines through.

Last but not least was my favorite wine of the evening, Chateau Ste. Michelle Cold Creek Cabernet Sauvignon ($35.19, Pa), you get a lot of Cabernet for that price, with Green pepper, Lead pencil, graphite, nice tannins and lots of fruit. Doug had mentioned earlier in his discussion how the Chardonnay glass was a red wine “killer”, even though you see similar sized and shaped glasses all the time for red wine in restaurants. He was right on the money when trying the Cold Creek Cabernet from the Chardonnay stem you lost both the nose and the fruit, and increased the tannins, which pretty much ruined what was an absolutely wonderful wine in the Cabernet glass.

I really have a hard time deciding what was my favorite part of the evening. Everyone received some interesting info and practical knowledge on proper stemware, had some really nice food, and tasted some killer wines, all in the span of two hours. The only thing I would change would be attending with my wife Kim instead of Jason, but he said the same about me!