The Best Water to Drink with Water Sommelier Martin Riese

In the ever expanding world of wellness, it is rare to find a topic both universal and deeply overlooked, and water is perhaps the most fascinating example. In my YouTube conversation with Water Sommelier Martin Riese, we explore a world most of us never think twice about. We turn on the tap, grab a bottle on the go, and assume hydration is simple. Yet as Martin reveals, water has layers, character, terroir and a story that begins long before it reaches your glass.

This is water elevated. And it is so much more interesting than you think.

What TDS Really Means for Your Water

One of the biggest misconceptions Martin clears up is the fascination with TDS. Total dissolved solids. The number you see on labels or hear in wellness circles, often used as a marker of superiority. Many assume that higher TDS means better water. Cleaner. Healthier. More virtuous somehow.

TDS measures how many minerals and salts are dissolved in the water. Things like calcium, magnesium, potassium and bicarbonates. Beautiful and natural in the right amounts, but not the holy grail of hydration.

Martin reminds us that TDS influences taste much more than it influences health. Think of it like wine or tea. A high mineral water will taste richer, rounder or saltier. A low TDS water tastes light and crisp, almost like the water equivalent of a white linen shirt on a warm day.

Science agrees. Low TDS water is safe. High TDS water is a flavor category, not a wellness requirement. The recommended range for pleasant drinking water sits below 500 ppm and most people get the minerals they need from food.

In other words, you do not need extreme minerality to be healthy. You just need clean, safe water that tastes good to you.

Is Purified or Low TDS Water Actually Healthy

There is a myth that purified water pulls minerals from your body. The data does not support this. Low TDS water hydrates beautifully and does not deplete your system when you have a balanced diet.

Martin explains it simply. Water is not supposed to be your primary mineral source. Its purpose is hydration and purity. Think of minerals from water as a garnish rather than the meal.

So if you love purified water or very light spring water, drink it freely. It is not only safe. It is often ideal for those who prefer a clean, delicate taste.

How to Choose the Healthiest Bottled Water

Choosing water becomes easier when you stop chasing trends and start paying attention to quality and your own preferences. Martin offered a few grounded yet luxurious guidelines.

Choose water with a meaningful source

Spring. Glacier. Protected aquifer. There is something grounding about knowing where your water begins.

Do not obsess over the TDS number

Higher numbers do not mean healthier. They mean different. Trust your palate.

Pick water based on how you use it

Daily hydration works well with light to medium TDS. Pairing with food or sipping as a ritual calls for something mineral rich.

Look for purity

Clean, safe water is always the priority. The healthiest water is the safest water.

Let taste guide you

We drink more of what we genuinely enjoy. Hydration should feel like an act of care.

So What Is the Best Water to Drink

Martin’s answer is refreshingly simple. The best water is the one that is clean, balanced and enjoyable enough that you will drink it consistently throughout your day. That may be a delicate low TDS water or a bold mineral heavy one. There is no universal best. There is only what supports you and your lifestyle.

Water is not a competition. It is a daily luxury. A ritual you get to revisit again and again.