8. Glass Of Truth Tumblers

It takes a special kind of person to appreciate the kind of truth that these hand-crafted wine-tasting glasses from the Czech Republic can deliver. First, they must be serious enough about tasting wine that they don't mind investing in halfway expensive glasses designed specifically for that purpose. (Those who balk at the cost of these middling tasting glasses might want to price top-flight wine glasses from Riedel or Spiegelau, "by the stem" as they're so often sold, before writing them off completely...)

Second, they must be patient enough to use these glasses properly. Their design is based upon is three key features: two indentations for the thumb and forefinger are included not just to provide a firm grip for these glasses, but also to permit the heat of those two fingers to encourage the wine to release more of its character and aroma. The indented rim encourages the aroma to linger inside the glass, so that it can be inhaled and savored as much as the taste of the wine itself when sipped.

In this rare case, dimples actually strengthen the truth.

Fans of the hit movie Sideways aside, those who try out these glasses and are serious or experienced enough to appreciate their features will also recognize that they're aimed pretty much exclusively at red wines. (Whites are best appreciated at temperatures under 58°, the fabled "cellar temperature" at which most wines are stored). Those looking to plumb the inner depths of the red wines they sample might find these glasses both interesting and instructive. Those simply looking for some interesting wine glasses might be better served by cruising oenophile Web sites such as WineEnthusiast.com or International Wine Accessories (www.iwawine.com) for bargains on stemless or other fine wine glasses.