I recently picked up a large collection of wine rinsers at estate sale here in Dallas. They apparently did not know what they were. Wine rinsers were made and used from about 1750s-1850s to rinse and cool your wine glass. They were part of the table setting and in between courses,and obviously changes in wine, you would tip your glass into the rinser filled with cold water resting the stem in the spout. Your server would then remove the glass dry it, remove the rinser, and refresh the water for the next course. Sounds lovely does it not.
The collection I picked up for $150 included several of each of the rinsers shown. I did find the purple rinsers on line which sold for $280 each. I do love the pleasing shapes and may find them hard to part with. Perhaps a few will be gifted to some wine loving friends. Tracy
