I’ve been meaning to get my hands on some Schott Zwiesel stems, and now I have the chance after getting a gift card to Sur La Table as part of our wedding gift. They have different Schott Zwiesel stemware series though (Concerto, Cru, Pure, Forte) and I’m not really sure what to make of the differences? Anyone have a lot of experience with these wine glasses who can shed some light on this? Thanks.
Well I like the Forte. I’m really not too picky about glasses in general and if needed would drink out of a tumbler, but I did pick up a bunch of those many years ago and they’re the ones I tend to go for if I want a specific glass rather than whatever’s in the dish rack. They’re kind of tall, and for the table I prefer a glass with a shorter stem since I’m kind of clumsy, so I usually grab a Speigelau, but the Forte glasses look nice and I like that they have a relatively narrow opening.
I think compared to the Cru they’re slightly smaller, around 21 oz vs 27 for the Cru, which isn’t critical to me as they’re plenty big enough. Were I to actually go out and buy more, I’d pick the Forte. But I think they’re both fine glasses.
No insight into what glasses are best for you, but I think you’ll enjoy them. They are surprisingly tough, tolerant of drunkeness and dishwashers. We’ve been using the Classic Bordeaux ones at the table; I use tougher glass ones when reading or if they will be on the coffee table. Our puppies tail is enthusiastically destructive.
Oh BTW, the reason I picked the Forte, which actually seems to show up under different names depending on the retailer, is because I watched a rep knocking the glass over on a granite table top for two days at Vinexpo while about six booths away, young Max Riedel was steaming. He was actually pretty cool, but couldn’t hide his irritation as the demo guys knocked the glasses over time and time again.
I took some home, knocked one over on the granite countertop, and of course it broke. So they can take a beating but not a serious one.
Brian,
The SZ Forte glasses are great. We got a dozen Riedel Bordeaux glasses as wedding gifts, but over about 8 years we broke through them all. I replaced them with the Forte glasses and 7 years later I have yet to break a single one and I do put them in the dishwasher. I absolutely love the Forte glasses and I highly recommend them.
Cheers,
I find their nomenclature somewhat confusing as well, but the Forte are the glasses we use 99% of the time, they fit in our dishwasher, are genuinely tough, and have a traditional and versatile shape.
For whites we use the (I think) “Red Wine Glass”, and for reds the “Claret Goblet”; we also have a few Champagne flutes for those who prefer to a regular glass.
Over the years we have bought them 3 or 4 times as our needs grew and we did indeed break a few, pretty much they are available for $8-10 each if one shops around.
Love the Pure series. Love the design and very sturdy.
Thanks guys. I think I may go to the actual store and look at the glasses on display there before making the final decision.
I use the the pure Bordeaux stems for my every day glass and have loved them. They are a bit tall but otherwise show off all wines well. Thin but sturdy, I have broken one in 6 years.
+1
We use the Pure beaujolais and love them. In addition to showing wines well and being sturdy, they are good for over-enthusiastic swirlers like myself. The tapered sides make spillage difficult.
These are our favorite: Schott Zwiesel Tritan Crystal Glass Stemware Forte Collection Burgundy / Beaujolais
Have a couple dozen Tritan Forte 18oz. Durable as hell not bulky at all.
I use the Pure at home and am thinking I’ll use them at my new restaurant.
i like the Forte Claret line. Same shape as Forte, just a little bigger.
I’m a huge fan of their Cru Bordeaux glasses. Sturdy, dependable, look good on the dining table, and are versatile for reds and whites. It’s my go-to stem for almost any occasion.
We have the Cru Bordeaux and Burgundy and a white glass. Like 'em, can’t really compare to the other lines but it seems to be in the Cru line there’s a little blurring of the line between the two reds - they kind of converge a bit. Anyhow they are durable but surely not indestructible, reasonably elegant but not as beautiful or weightless as the Gabriel Glas, they’re good functionally, wines generally show well … a fine everyday option.
I bought a dozen of the forte bordeaux glasses and a dozen forte burgundy glasses 8 years ago when we remodeled our kitchen. We use them regularly and clean them in the dishwasher. I still have all 12 burgundy stems and have only broken 1 bordeaux glass. Really durable and perfect for casual drinking at home.
We had a casualty tonight. DIL was washing dishes and had the wine glasses upside down draining on the countertop and knocked two over. Bases snapped right off the stems. 
I comes down to which style you prefer. We like the Forte.
Exactly my response as well.