How The Only Wine Glass You’ll Ever Need Was Made, as Told by Creator Richard Brendon

Finding Inspo with Alex Barinka

Heritage-inspired tableware designer Richard Brendon and acclaimed wine critic Jancis Robinson combined forces to create one glass that suits all types of wine – and the pair succeeded. Richard gave us an exclusive inside look on how The Wine Glass came to be, informed by his history creating luxury drinkware and Jancis’s renowned expertise, on this week’s episode of Verishop’s shoppable podcast, “Finding Inspo with Alex Barinka.”

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In theory, a glass’s purpose is simple: Hold the liquid of one’s choice until it’s ready to be drank. The experts will tell you there’s much more to it than that. For Richard Brendon and Jancis Robinson, they felt that a wine glass should bring out the best of the drink on behalf of the drinker in an elegant, uncomplicated manner. It had to be the right size, shape and material, and it had to be beautifully constructed.

While Jancis -- a Master of Wine, multiple James Beard Award-winner and adviser for Queen Elizabeth II’s cellar -- was able to bring unrivaled knowledge on how a glass can best suit the wine, it was Richard’s ability to turn this inspiration into reality that brought The Wine Glass into being.

Richard approaches design with a reverence for the past and focus on functionality that’s enabled him to strike the winning balance of modern and timeless throughout his pieces. It’s this instinct that led to a wine glass that’s already beloved by sommeliers and discerning at-home wine drinkers globally.

On this episode, host Alex Barinka wanted to started with Richard’s background, and how he smashed onto the luxury table and barware scene back when he was serving drinks in various pubs (and in sub-par glasses, no doubt) to make a living. He expanded his expertise from ceramics to glassware, including the brilliant cut-crystal Old Fashioned glasses sold on Verishop.

It was this foray into the glass medium that opened up the door for the eventual designing of The Wine Glass, and the choice to have each and every piece hand-made by glass-blowing artisans. Tune in to the episode to hear the intriguing process by which Richard Brendon’s products are made and how they can enhance your at-home entertaining, plus exclusive details on his partnership with Jancis Robinson. Listen to the show, the shop the episode.

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