Ms. Kawano's Favorite Product: Ion Strong Crystal Wine Glasses

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Korin_Mari

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Hi everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic 4th of July holiday and ate tons of good food (BBQ using binchotan, perhaps? lol). Today I would like to introduce to you Ms. Kawano's favorite product, the Ion Strong crystal wine glasses.

Ms. Kawano's Favorite Product: Ion Strong Crystal Wine Glasses

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Ion Strong Diamant Burgundy Glass - Set of 6 : $156

Several months ago, many chefs including Chef Seamus Mullen of Tertulia Restaurant (NY) reported to Ms. Kawano about how wonderful the Ion Strong Crystal Wine Glasses were, and have gone so far as to telling her that she could make a business out of only wine glasses. Ever since then, she has been on a rampage trying to spread the joys of this wine glass. She replace all of the wine glasses in the house, took it on our cruise to see chef Nobu, keeps one her in purse, and I'm convinced she's going to start leaving one besides her bed for her to admire.

The Ion Strong glasses are environmentally friendly lead and barium free glasses that use patented Japanese glass-crafting technology to make them shatter and chip resistant, while maintaining brightness and clarity. (Not only are they produced in an eco-friendly fashion, but due to how durable they are, they also reduce waste!) These awesome glasses won't fog or discolor over time and they're commercial dishwasher friendly/highly resistant against alkaline washing agents. Our high volume hotel and restaurants customers have reported that they have reduced their wine glass breakage to only a third of the original amount thanks to the Ion Strong glasses.


Ion Strong Diamant Wine Glass Pair Set: $56


Korin has been receiving exceptional feedback from some of the top executive owner chefs and wine consultants that use the Ion Strong Fine Crystal wine glasses.

[video=youtube;6gRtrKmeXg0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gRtrKmeXg0&feature=plcp[/video]
Chef Nobu of Nobu Restaurant (worldwide) trying out the Ion Strong Glasses.

“Ion Strong wine glasses elevate the full aroma and taste of sake. I love this glass!"
- Nobu Matsuhisa, owner chef of Nobu and Matsuhisa Restaurants worldwide.

“Since we started using Ion Strong wine glasses, our breakage went from 24 regular wine glasses to 2 or 3 Ion Strong glasses per week! These glasses are durable, beautiful and they are saving us money!”
- Seamus Mullen, owner chef of Tertulia, New York.

"We use a high-temperature dishwasher and even the slightest movement will crack wine glasses, but with Ion Strong crystal wine glasses. Our breakage has been cut down so we could not be happier!"
- James Roberts, General Manager of Morimoto Restaurant, New York.

“Wine tastes better in an Ion Strong wine glass than in a typical restaurant wine glass. They are thin, yet durable and their beautiful design brings out the beauty of the wine.”
- Sara Keiko Ikegami of Fine Wine Consultant from Tricana Imports in Plainview, NY.



Ion Strong Diamant Champagne Flute Pair Set: $54

I'm going to tell you right now, I don't drink. Like at all. So how would I be a good judge as to what is a good wine glass? Chances are I'm a terrible judge, considering how I can only tell you the facts and describe to you what I see. But! Being raised watching the hospitality industry and having them roll around in the sink, I can tell you that these glasses are shaped sleeker, thinner, and more elegant than your typical glasses, and you don't have to worry about breaking them while washing them.

I realize that there are several wine glass makers that make scratch and shatter resistant wine glasses that are barium OR lead free (not both to my knowledge) and I admit, if you drop them on hardwood floor, yes it is going to break. But to be fair, other brands will shatter if you drop them as well. The real differences are how it shatters, how elegant it's shaped, and how much thinner the Ion strong glasses are.

When we dropped the wine glasses from equal distance, the other brands shattered into small pieces, while the Ion strong broke into larger pieces, which makes clean up easier. Overall the body of the Ion Strong glasses are sturdier, regardless of how much thinner it is.

I'm also going to admit, that in reality I'm still learning about different advantages of wine glasses, which is hard to do when you don't drink to begin with. ::sigh:: But while I'm learning about the benefits, the following quote will explain on my behalf.


Crystal Verses Glass Wine Glasses

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I wish I could make this image larger...

"The difference between glass and crystal is essentially lead content, although the level of craftsmanship is also considered. The lead oxide in crystal gives the product clarity and sparkle, but it is also the source of some controversy... Crystal wine glasses have a rougher surface, on a microscopic level, than regular glass. When swirling and aerating wine, this uneven surface makes crystal more effective at releasing esters. As a result, wine served in crystal stemware will explode on the nose, compared to plain stemware that shows a flat and lifeless wine.

Unfortunately, there is a downside to using crystal. The hand-blown glasses... are extremely expensive and fragile (they can cost $50 to $75 per glass). Even their less pricey (about $40 for a set of two), but more durable machine-made series... has a tendency to break.

On top of that, questions have been raised about the safety of crystal. Studies have shown that exposure to even small amounts of lead can be harmful. Scientists have found that when crystal comes in contact with acidic beverages, some lead dissolves into the liquid. The amount depends on the lead content of the crystal, the type of beverage, and the length of time they are in contact with each other.

Studies show that acidic beverages such as port or wine will dissolve more lead from crystal than less acidic drinks like scotch or vodka. Acidic, non-alcoholic beverages such as fruit juices and soft drinks also absorb lead. The longer a beverage sits inside a crystal container, the more lead is absorbed by the liquid. Therefore, over the course of a meal, the amount of lead released from crystal wine glasses tends to be low. In contrast, beverages stored in crystal decanters for extended periods of time (about 3 months) can accumulate very high levels of lead."
- Information taken from Modern Wine Cellar

But fear no longer! The Ion Strong Glasses are 100% lead AND barium free!

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(Image from Guilt Taste. They sell our products too.)​

Restaurateurs, wine connoisseurs, and clumsy individuals rejoice in the durability and elegance of these useful glasses.




.... Now a question from a wine-newb. Would anyone be so kind as to explaining to me what the benefits to a really thin glass other than being able to really taste the wine?

Thanks for reading and your support! :)
 
I like how you described it as a "rampage"; it reminded me of one of my favorite Archer episodes!

Don't feel bad about not drinking; I don't drink alcohol at all but I do cook with it.
 
So buy 24 Chardonnay glasses @ $15.5 each,
6 @ $26 ea. and
2 @ $28 ea.
 
Thin is an aesthetic thing. It also implies skill, sophistication, quality, etc. It has nothing to do with taste although people have told me on more than one occasion that it is disconcerting to drink something out of a thin glass for the first time.
 
It has a certain mouth feel.(feels good on the lips) That is all I can say.
 
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