Wine before lunch on a Wednesday? Why not? Riedel, the wine glass company, came in to  Zappos HQ yesterday and today to hold  wine tasting seminars for employees to learn all about their varietal-specific stemware.

Riedel, an over 250-year-old glass-making company, has always believed that form follows function. Each one of Riedel’s handcrafted stemware serves to enrich the overall experience of different varieties of wines, from the nose to the palate.

We sampled different varieties of wine using the Riedel Vinum series. From chardonnay to merlot, we learned how specific stemware brings out the full breadth of complexity in each type. The right glass shape is responsible for the flow of the wine and where it first touches the various taste zones on the tongue.

To say that a lot of thought, detail and precision went into designing each type of wine glass would be an understatement. As Riedel puts it: “The content commands the shape!” The biggest takeaway from our mini wine tasting sessions is that to fully appreciate good wine, it is essential to have the right glass.