Meet the Prince of Glassware

Glassblowing has and always will be a complex trade. The technique is credited with being invented by a Syrian craftsman in the 1st century BC, it’s an art as old as time.

The RIEDEL family name used to be associated with being glass traders in Vienna. They steadily expanded from their family roots as Sudeten Germans in the Czech Republic to becoming one of the biggest players in the EU crystal game. They are family owned and operated with a reach spanning multiple continents. Most importantly, they are thriving and currently leading their industry. In 2021, RIEDEL celebrated a momentous occasion: 265 years as a family-owned glassware business.

Origin Story

Meet Max Riedel, an 11th generation Riedel who took over as CEO and has continued to evolve the brand for the modern drinker. The brand boasts a series of gorgeous glassware that will make you want to start a collection. Innovative and ever-evolving, RIEDEL continues to lead the charge on modern, functional glassware.

A world-traveller, killer content creator and phenomenal educator, he brings taste to life with consumers and trade around the world. Just take a look at his instagram page and you’ll understand the excitement he brings to the world around glassware!

In today’s millennial landscape, people are making wine, travelling for wine and have generally become their own wine critic. Riedel says their key consumer is that millennial wine drinker and that more people should be showcasing great glassware in their homes – and I couldn’t agree more! My whole condo is comprised of my wine, my wardrobe and my wine glassware collection!

Riedel has set the standard for glass mastery in Europe, and quite truthfully, the world. In the EU where glass blowing techniques dominate, the most famous example comes out of the Venetian island of Murano. These beautiful hand-blown works of art usually take the form of colourful figurines, beads and vases. Known as Venetian crystal around the world, this decorative style reinforces the notion that your grandma clung to. You know, the kind of crystal that stayed in the hutch year-round and was purely ornamental. That may have been the Riedel heritage since conception. However since Max took the reins as CEO, he has been reinventing the ‘mouth-blown, hand-cut’ philosophy. He has single-handedly founded multiple game-changing designs to suit the modern at home entertainer and wine enthusiast alike.

Revolutionary Design

The people who are passionate from grape to glass understand the benefit of varietal-specific glassware. This was an intuitive business choice that forever changed the landscape of the crystal industry. Known for the creation and development of varietal-specific stemware, RIEDEL Crystal was the first in history to recognize that the taste and aroma of a beverage is affected by the shape of the vessel from which it is consumed. This has been recognized for its revolutionary designs complimenting alcoholic beverages and other drinks. For example, Pinot Noir glasses were made and shaped for maximum aromatic impact. Champagne flutes were designed with the perfect lip to nose dimension.

RIEDEL glassware is the go-to for any home collector, budding oenophile, or studying sommelier. They have since become the benchmark for service in the wine industry. In fact, the most popular glass variety in their entire portfolio is the Cabernet glass.

‘O’ Collection

In 2004, Riedel created the now iconic ‘O’ collection of wine glasses to solve the problem of modern entertainment in a minimal space environment. Forget white linens and double set silverware, the ‘O series’ brought stemless and stackable glassware to the forefront, without compromising quality. A long stretch from what your grandma and grandpa collected. “The “O” glass has delighted many and outraged a few,” said Maximilian.These iconic varietal specific stemless glasses are still one of their best-sellers.

This series has now become one of RIEDEL‘s best selling, and its success is easy to understand. Contemporary and chic, it is perfect for those who crave elegant yet uncomplicated designs for everyday use. The “O” collection began for wine and has grown to include thirteen different glass designs, including six varietally-specific wine glass shapes, plus a glass for sparkling wine, water, saké, martini, and spirits. His latest foray is into the world of cocktails, expanding the ingenuity of RIEDEL beyond wine.

Decant, Decant, Decant

When I asked Max what his favourite advice to give to wine drinkers is, he said “Decant, Decant, Decant“, no matter what the wine or time you’re drinking it, decanting your wine is a great way to add flare (and oxygen) to your wine to open up the aromas and allow it to taste better.

Where millennial wine lovers flocked to the ‘o series’, more mature palates preferred the signature decanters, coming in 40 different shapes and sizes, customizable to the person. As the beverage experience from decanters is not varietal specific, they are designed with the service aspect in mind. In 2008, Max single-handedly developed the ‘double-decanting’ technology to enhance this very personal wine experience. This groundbreaking invention was implemented in many of his designs that bare his signature including the best-selling ‘Eve’, a cobra-snake shaped decanter that allowed the trend to flourish. Prior to this, ‘double-decanting’ was limited to bottle to bottle transfer, but alas this allowed for maximum airflow and ‘double-decanting’ in one vessel for the first time. A modern legacy that will pave the way for the continued heritage of RIEDEL.

Pro Tip: You can find a lot of RIEDEL glassware at Winners and Homesense – it’s my favourite place to shop for great glassware and decanters.

RIEDEL glassware is distributed worldwide and can be found at all good retailers and fine dining destinations. To learn more about RIEDEL, peruse their website here.