Riedel Wine Glass Buyers Guide | Grape-Specific Crystal Glassware

If you understand good wine, you know that the right wine glass is an essential part of the experience. A fine New World Pinot Noir needs a completely different shape and size of the glass bowl to a rare Premier Cru Burgundy Chardonnay or an aged Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux Claret. Just as a vintage Champagne tastes different when drunk from an elegant Champagne coupe or saucer to a tall flute, the bouquet, texture (creamy, watery, silky, velvety), taste, balance (fruit, mineral, acid, bitter) and finish of wine can all be dramatically enhanced with the right wine glass. Riedel have a style of glass for every type of wine and grape variety from around the world allowing you to fully appreciate the characteristics of the wine your chosen winemaker worked so hard to produce.

 

The historic wine glass company, Riedel had been owned and managed by the Riedel family since 1756. Maximilian J. Riedel is the 11^th generation to lead this iconic crystal wine glass brand. With factories in Kufstein (hand-made crystal), Weiden (machine-made crystal) and Amberg (machine-made crystal), and a large warehouse and logistics facility in Schneegattern, to this day all Riedel glass products are made in Austria and Germany. Maximilian Riedel is a hands-on manager who inspires his colleagues and customers with his passion for fine glassware. Maximilian and his family are also well known for their philanthropy, supporting charities such as the Elton John Aids Foundation. Over the last four years, the Riedel company has donated over 110,000 euro to EJAF and Maximilian created a unique Swan Magnum Rainbow Limited Edition of 175 stunning decanters, proceeds from which are donated to the charity.

The key to unlocking the best from your wine is undoubtedly the finely-tuned glass bowls with shape, size and rim-diameters to suit each grape, however looks and aesthetics are important too. And there is no doubt Riedel glassware looks as good as it performs, with great care and attention being given to the stem height and base size of each glass, known as glass architecture, to ensure the proportions are just right. To demonstrate the quality of Riedel products and theory of tailoring glass size and shape to specific grape varieties, Maximilian personally runs many of his popular “Key To Wine” Sensory Workshop events, which take place around the world. Attendees of these events have the privilege of joining Maximilian and other senior members of the Riedel family to taste a variety of fine wines using a selection of beautiful Riedel glasses, so they can, with the benefit of Maximilian’s tasting notes and observations, learn the subtle but important attributes of each style of glass and how it works to optimise ones appreciation of wine.

 

Many Riedel glasses are still handmade by master glassmakers, in fact the Riedel factory in Kufstein, Austria, is dedicated to handmade crystal glassware and employs 140 people who make only 250,000 pieces per year. This compares to the Riedel factory in Amberg, Germany, which employs the same amount of people but can make 23 million machine-made pieces of glassware per year. The techniques used today to make hand-made glassware date back 2,000 years to Roman times. Every glass produced by hand is unique, with tiny variations in size and weight. In fact, many experts consider the slight differences and imperfections of hand-blown glassware a prized feature of the process. Machine-made crystal, on the other hand, has the advantage of being both perfect in every way and value for money, with features such as laser-cut polished rims and seamless stems. Amazingly, all Riedel glassware is made from break-resistant fine crystal, which is dishwasher safe! Furthermore, when you buy Riedel glasses or decanters from Burton Blake, they will be delivered in the most amazing super-sturdy packaging to ensure your new fine crystal arrives in one piece and can later be stored safely too. An investment in Riedel glasses will keep looking great and performing perfectly for many years. 

 

When serving fine wine, there are a few things that need to be right. First, the glasses must be completely clean and free from any contaminants, such as dust or remnants of washing detergent. It is important to serve the wine at the right temperature – don’t over-chill white wine or champagne, and red wine must be served slightly below room temperature. Don’t be tempted to overfill the glass – the space in the glass bowl is there to enhance quality, not for quantity! Serve a maximum of 100-125ml of wine at any one time to get the most from the wine’s taste and aroma. Next, choose the wine glass that best suits the grape and type of wine you are serving to make the most of the bouquet, texture and taste balance of the wine. Finally, choose your wine and the glasses you use to suit the occasion – you might want to enjoy a special bottle of Montrachet with your partner in a beautiful Superleggero, handmade, ultrathin, crystal glass, while the Riedel benchmark Vinum collection is perfect for a smart dinner party, and the ‘O’ stemless range would be better for a more relaxed gathering such as Sunday lunch or a summer barbeque. Buy your Riedel glasses now from the Burton Blake website and enjoy an introductory offer when you subscribe to our Luxury Lifestyle newsletter. All Riedel fine crystal glassware is in stock and available with free express delivery, and if you’re not sure which glasses to buy why not ask one of our experienced sales team by calling 0203 105 1669, sending an email message to sales@burtonblake.co.uk or by clicking the chat button on our homepage.