I don't remember the first time I heard the term "breathable" glass, but I do remember the first time I tried such a glass. The wine was the 2001 Avignonesi il Desiderio, a mostly merlot "Super Tuscan" from Cortona in Italy. My boss, Don Thompson, and I were tasting several Italian wines we were proposing for an upcoming winemaker dinner at town restaurant.

Don had brought along a few German-made Eisch breathable glasses. We first tasted the just-opened, huge, tannic wine in standard crystal glassware. It was powerful, structured, chewy and definitely too fresh to enjoy. We poured the same wine into the Eisch glass and within minutes, this previously pleasure-challenged wine was sensational. I was amazed at the difference between the wines in the two different glasses.

But I wasn't entirely hooked. After all, it was just one wine that I knew from past experience needed more aging and aeration than most. However, I was intrigued and started researching the properties of the glassware. Eisch Breathable Glasses are made from a special raw-material mixture of lead-free crystal. After the manufacturing process, the glasses undergo an oxygenizing treatment. But does this treatment make all, or even most, wines taste better? The research said yes, but the opportunity to really test the glassware came several months later when the shipment finally arrived from Germany.

The buzz around town was growing, and by the time Ronn Weigand, master of wine, master sommelier and publisher of Restaurant Wine, arrived in Honolulu, it was loud and strong. A few local wine lovers had already tried the Eisch and were anxiously awaiting the container to arrive. Wine expert Lyle Fujioka was one: "It's a positive enhancement of aromatics and palate," he said. Jerry Wong, Waialae Country Club wine committee member and local businessman, agreed. In fact, he was the catalyst behind the Eisch invasion of Hawai'i.

"I knew Ronn, and if he was impressed, I knew they were worth a try," said Wong. "I've got tons of them now." Wong's next move is to take Eisch into the Hong Kong and Japanese markets.

Fellow Waialae Country Club member Carl Smigielski is also on board. In August, he helped organize the first trade tasting back at Waialae.

"There's a marked difference between Eisch and Riedel," Smigielski said, referring to the other well-known glassware firm, which claims that glass shape as well as composition affect wine flavor.

Smigielski's was the general consensus at the tasting, which put several different wines to the test. These included the Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve, Hyde de Villaine Chardonnay, Foley Estates Pinot Noir and Cliff Lede Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon.

Industry professionals — including Chef Mavro sommelier Todd Ashline, Simply Grape's Nick Keehler and 12th Avenue Grill chef-owner Kevin Hanney — were on hand to sniff, swirl and sip from the Eisch and comparable crystal glassware.

"It's like putting on Bose headphones," offered my husband, Mark, certified sommelier and vice president of Better Brands.

Everyone concurred. The nose, the taste, everything is more vivid. But perhaps Weigand said it best: "It's like moving up to the front row of a show after sitting in the back and having to strain to see what's going on."

But convincing those who hadn't been in attendance was a bit more challenging. Jason "Cass" Castle, wine steward and sommelier for Indigo, Bar 35 and Du Vin, needed a little push. I literally had to blindfold him and pour the same wine into the Eisch and another crystal glass for a side-by-side blind tasting. I chose the Hartford Pinot Noir, as I felt this exemplified the effects of the Eisch. Several witnesses stood by as Cass went back and forth, forgetting which glass was which but knowing for certain which wine tasted better. "No comparison," he announced, holding up the Eisch glass. "This wine is far superior to that one." Unmasked, he was hooked.

While a discerning palate isn't a prerequisite to detecting the difference in wineglasses, it certainly helps. It was no surprise that chefs Russell Siu from 3660 On The Rise and Hardy Kinscher from Michel's were some of the first to become true believers. They both use Eisch glasses in their restaurants now.

But what about the regular folk who drink regular wine, not Bordeaux and hundred-dollar cabs? Well, I took the side-by-side tasting to the streets. At Indigo's Grapes of Wrath Wine Club, I poured four different wines in three different glasses, and the results — while not unanimous — were impressive. More than 75 percent said the wines in the Eisch glassware tasted better.

Eisch breathable glasses are available at Fujioka's, Simply Grape, HASR Wine Co., Tamura's Fine Wines, R. Field Wine Co., Shiroma's Wine and More, The People's Wine Shop, Wine The Experience and other retailers around town. They sell from $10 to $20 dollars a glass. If you want to test them out before you buy, several restaurants feature them, including town, Alan Wong's, 12th Avenue Grill, Ruth's Chris Steak House, 3660 On The Rise, Michel's, Baci Bistro and Tokyo Tokyo.

Lisa Gmur is a fine-wine specialist for Waipahu-based Grand Crew Wine Merchants and teaches bimonthly wine seminars at HASR Wine Co.; 535-9463. Raise a Glass, written by a rotating panel of drink experts, appears here every other week.