a 300 year-old family owned company
RIEDEL - The Wine Glass Company
Founded in 1756 and pioneering grape varietal-specific stemware since 1958, RIEDEL has become the brand of choice for wine connoisseurs and drink specialists, hospitality professionals and consumers globally.
A RIEDEL glass turns a sip of wine into a celebration!
CAUTION: This is a grape varietal specific wine instrument! This shape works best with wines made from specific grapes. Please read the instructions below to guarantee maximum enjoyment.
RIEDEL has extensively researched the impact of the size and shape of the glass across all popular grape varieties, leading to the conclusion, on which the world’s wine experts agree: the aroma, taste, texture, finish and enjoyment of wine, is maximized by using the correct "Wine Instrument".
About RIEDEL Crystal
- RIEDEL CRYSTAL (established 1756) has been producing glass in the heart of Europe for over 265 years and eleven generations.
- Family owned and operated by GEORG J. RIEDEL (10th generation) and MAXIMILIAN J. RIEDEL (11th generation).
- RIEDEL is recognized worldwide for designing and producing the highest quality glasses and decanters for wine and spirit enjoyment. Top-rated wineries and restaurants throughout the world use RIEDEL.
- Top-rated wineries and restaurants troughout the world use RIEDEL
- RIEDEL produces collections for every lifestyle and price range, whether for critical wine evaluation, a picnic or dinner. There is a series for every wine lover.
RIEDEL Trademark
The distinctive Riedel signature is now featured on the base of all handmade/hand-finished products. This signature trademark helps our customers to distinguish immediately between handmade/hand-finished products and those made by machine. Our machine-made products carry this trademark. The RIEDEL glass dynasty is built on the creative energies of a long line of glassmakers. The story begins in 1756 in Bohemia and continues right down to the united Europe of today, taking in some of the most dramatic events in European history along the way.
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The quality of the glass plays a crucial role here and RIEDEL produces the largest range of high-quality glasses, specifically fine-tuned to fit the predominant wine varietals of the planet. RIEDEL makes it possible to fully appreciate all the nuances of aromas and tastes from the best wines in the world.
Michel Bettane
Guide Bettane et Desseauve
At RIEDEL, Content commands Shape
Perfectly designed glassware enhances the aroma and the flavor of all aromatic beverages.
- In the late 1950s, Claus J. Riedel was the first person in history to introduce and develop wine-friendly stemware.
- RIEDEL has extensively researched the impact of the size and shape of the glass across all
popular grape varieties, leading to the conclusion, on which the world’s wine experts agree:
the aroma, taste, texture, finish and enjoyment of wine, is maximized by using the correct
‘WINE TOOL’.
Why Shape Matters:
- Stemware consists of three parts: the bowl, stem and base.
- The height of the stem and the width of the base are part of the glass design (known as the architecture).
- Grape varietal specific stemware features finely-tuned glass bowls consisting of three variables: shape, size and rim diameter.
- Grape varietal specific stemware has to translate the "message" of wine to the human senses.
There are 4 Sensations in Wine:
- Bouquet: Grape varietal specific stemware is responsible for delivering the quality and intensity of the wine’s aroma.
- Texture: Grape varietal specific stemware highlights the exciting and diverse styles of "mouthfeel" in wine (watery, creamy, silky, velvety).
- Taste: Grape varietal specific stemware creates a balanced interaction between the fruit, minerality, acidity and bitter components of a wine.
- Flavor: Grape varietal specific stemware offers a pleasant, seamless, harmonious, and long lasting aftertaste.
Comprised of three parts: bowl – stem – base
The Architecture of Stemware
Hand-made / Hand-Finished Product
The origin of blown glassware dates back 2000 years. The Romans were the first to use this technique. At RIEDEL, in Kufstein, we produce hand-made and hand-finished crystal glassware. Each hand-made and hand-finished item is individually crafted/hand-finished by our master glassmakers.
The expertise of these craftsmen guarantees that the quality of each glass meets the high standard for which our brand is known. Because of the handcrafting/hand-finishing, small tolerances in the size and weight of each glass, tiny bubbles/ imperfections and slight surface variations are a feature and an acceptable part of the process.
Finding the right RIEDEL glass
RIEDEL offers ‘grape varietal specific’ glasses, for dedicated wine lovers as well as for
informal wine drinkers. When choosing a grape varietal specific RIEDEL glass, consider that it is designed for, and performs at its best with, a specific type of wine. A grape varietal specific RIEDEL glass is a wine tool – ‘the key to wine’ - shaped to unlock the most elusive characteristics.
Visit our Wine Glass Guide to identify the right glass for your wine.
How much to invest in one glass?
Plan to invest in one glass the same amount as you would normally spend on a bottle of wine.
Is there one glass for all my wines?
The four most versatile shapes for red and white wines are the RIEDEL 001 Magnum, RIEDEL 002 Red Wine, OUVERTURE Magnum and the VINUM Riesling Grand Cru, but please remember: shape does matter for maximum intensity and total enjoyment of wine.
One glass fit all? How can each shape provide a unique experience for my wine?
One glass can never provide the optimum experience for all styles of wine. A wine’s bouquet, taste, balance and finish are all influenced by the shape of the glass from which it is consumed. A wine will display very different characteristics when served in different glass shapes. These differences can be so great, that even experienced wine connoisseurs have believed that they are tasting as many different wines as there are different glasses. RIEDEL has created shapes that specifically enhance a wine’s harmony and highlight its unique characteristics. Grape varietals carry in their DNA unmistakable flavor profiles, which add to the importance of selecting the appropriate glass.
Wines have two, three or four flavor contributors which are associated with the fermentation.
Two flavor contributors: floral white wines - aroma and taste are dominated by fermented grape juice and the flavor of yeast.
Recommended: RIESLING GRAND CRU (13-3/8oz, 380ccm)
Three flavor contributors: oak-aged white wines - aroma and taste are dominated by fermented grape juice, the flavor of yeast, and oak influence (malolactic fermentation, gentle wood flavors combined with aging and aeration).
Recommended: MONTRACHET/CHARDONNAY (18-3/8oz, 520ccm)
Four flavor contributors: oak-aged red wines - aroma and taste are dominated by fermented grape juice, the flavor of yeast, maceration (fermentation of skin and juice) and oak influence (malolactic fermentation, gentle wood flavors combined with aging and aeration).
Recommended: CABERNET (30-3/8oz, 860ccm)
Discover the versatility of 2024 GRAPE@RIEDEL! A trio of sizes perfect for an array of wines, fun drinks, and cocktails. Meticulously crafted for varietal precision, these glasses excel in both mixology and wine enjoyment. Embrace professionalism with optimal fill levels and enjoy the multi-tasking design of GRAPE@RIEDEL – where style, functionality, and affordability meet.
In homage to the 50th Anniversary of Sommeliers, which changed the art of glassmaking as we knew it, RIEDEL Superleggero has reintroduced the glass shapes and transformed into a precision-made, machine-crafted collection, setting a new benchmark for premium machine-made wine glasses.
moderate price and dishwasher safe
RIEDEL Veloce (2022)
Modern glass that impresses through its balance and haptics
RIEDEL Veloce is an impressive development based on state-of-the-art technology from RIEDEL’s own factory in Weiden, Germany. RIEDEL wine glasses are developed through workshops in different shapes and sizes for specific grape varieties. Only highly advanced machine production can guarantee such precise and functional glass design language, in harmony with the respective profile of grape variety.
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Instead of being functional and matched to the grape variety, the glasses of the RIEDEL Wine Friendly collection are designed for a specific purpose.
With this collection, RIEDEL is responding to a worldwide increase in demand for "easy to use" entry-level glasses. The collection was originally developed as a mise-en-place for the restaurant industry, where universal glasses are preferred due to limited storage space.
RIEDEL LAUDON (2020)
EYECATCHER
Presented in stunning colors like precious gems, the RIEDEL Laudon Tumblers are truly eyecatching. The luxurious cut-crystal design reflects light to allow the tumblers to sparkle. Perfect for whisky, water, cocktails or mixed drinks, these glasses will add style to any table setting and can be purchased individually for a truly unique look.
A flat-bottomed glass, wide and reminiscent of the wing of an aircraft, complete with winglets. Over the course of a year, through many tastings and by making changes to shape, size and rim diameter, what began as one glass for one grape varietal developed into seven different glasses to represent the most popular grape varietals.
RIEDEL Winewings was born and was about to take flight!
Extreme was developed in sensory workshops by experts and is specially designed for the optimum enjoyment of New World wines. Executed in clear, brilliant crystal by RIEDEL in Bavaria, Germany, Extreme perfectly shows the true colors and depths of the wine. These glasses feature a broad, angled, grape varietal specific bowl, which enhances the wine’s aromas, opening up the wine to reveal every subtle nuance. Extreme delivers the wine perfectly onto the palate, balancing and harmonizing the fruit, acidity and tannins and highlighting the wine‘s delicious flavors.
RIEDEL HIGH PERFORMANCE (2020)
OPTIC IMPACT AND XL STEM
The machine-produced visual effect has a positive impact on the taste experience: not only does it give the chalice an attractive appearance, it also increases the internal surface area. This allows the champagne to open up and bring out its full aroma, with all its subtle nuances. The long drawn stems are a masterpiece of the glassmaker‘s art. They give the glass an exclusive, unique elegance.
Launched in 2019, RIEDEL Drink Specific Glassware offers perfect glasses for thousands of different cocktails. The collection includes iconic shapes such as Neat, Rocks, Highball, Fizz, Sour, and a Nick & Nora glass. Recent additions to the collection includes, among others, a Double Rocks, a Coffee glass, and a large Nick & Nora glass. The collection was designed to match specific cocktails, as well as the ice cube size needs. Elevate your cocktail experience with RIEDEL‘s expertly designed glassware.
First presented in 2019 RIEDEL Fatto A Mano Performance is a combination of two successful series and marries refined craftsmanship (for the stem and the base) and the precision of a machine (for the bowl). RIEDEL Fatto A Mano Performance consists of four parts and is produced in the factory in Kufstein. The glasses in this series are made of crystal glass and are dishwasher-safe.
The perfect ‘must have’ glasses for all cocktails and mixed drinks. With four different designs, inspired by the glamorous Art Nouveau period, these elegant, decorated crystal tumblers present a contrast to RIEDEL’S purist, unadorned wine glasses. Spirits and cocktail connoisseurs will enjoy discovering the versatility of these stylish, yet subtly nostalgic, glasses for the enjoyment of Whisky, Gin and Tonic, Cocktails and mixed drinks alike.
With three generations of research, development and experience in creating wine-specific glassware, Georg Riedel & Maximilian J. Riedel have created RIEDEL Performance: the ultimate loudspeaker for fine wine. Lightweight, durable and dishwasher safe, RIEDEL Performance glasses are executed in sparkling fine crystal and feature long fine stems and large stable bases. RIEDEL Performance’s unique optic impact not only adds a pleasing visual aspect to the bowl, but also increases the inner surface area, allowing the wine to open up and to fully show every aroma and subtle nuance. The grape varietal-specific shapes in RIEDEL Performance, when combined with the optic impact, deliver ultimate wine enjoyment.
The finest glasses for both technical and hedonistic purposes are those made by RIEDEL. The effect of these glasses on fine wine is profound. I cannot emphasize enough what a difference they make.
Robert M. Parker Jr.
Wine Critic, The Wine Advocate
This collection is a stunning range of varietal-specific wine glasses with colorful handmade stems using traditional Venetian techniques. With its hand-made stem and base, "Fatto a Mano" combines the crafts of the past with today’s technologically-advanced, machine blown techniques. The finished product charms the eye with its hand-crafted feel, colorful aesthetics and varietal specific bowls.
Timeless and elegant RIEDEL Veritas is fine blown and light weight. Executed in sparking crystal this classic glass collection is perfectly balanced in hand. RIEDEL Veritas is designed based on the iconic RIEDEL Grape Varietal Specific bowls which bring optimum wine enjoyment.
The special production technology developed for RIEDEL Veritas underlines RIEDEL’s hallmark leadership in performance-driven crystal drinkware for consumers and professionals.
BLACK SERIES COLLECTOR‘S EDITION (2013)
EXCLUSIVE COLLECTOR‘S EDITION
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Sommeliers glass series, RIEDEL presents an exclusive collector‘s editions: Pleasure and design objects that emphasize the unique design language of the wine-friendly Sommeliers.
Black Series Collector‘s Edition is handmade in crystal glass.
RIEDEL Bar (2008)
for spirits served neat
RIEDEL Bar is composed of stylish and functional glasses designed to enhance the enjoyment of spirits. The series showcases the aromatics and flavor characteristics while minimizing the bite of alcohol. RIEDEL adopts the same approach in developing spirits glasses as they do to refine their wine glass shapes. Tasters determine which forms show the most popular spirits and fortified wines to their greatest advantage on the nose and palate, without losing the carefully crafted nuances of distillation to the dominance of alcohol.
This range was launched in 2008 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Sommeliers Burgundy Grand Cru glass. The red wine glasses are distinguished by a tall black stem and the white wine glasses feature a black base, making this one of our most exciting collections.
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O Wine Tumbler is the first varietal-specific wine tumbler in history. O is an innovative take on the casual wine glass, giving total wine enjoyment. O is based on the benchmark shapes of Vinum to enhance the world’s most important grape varietals. The tumbler, used for centuries as an all-round drinking vessel, is now turned into a sophisticated wine accessory. Broken stems are a thing of the past.
Vinum was the first machine-made glass collection in history to be based on the characteristics of grape varietals. Grape varietals carry in their DNA unmistakable flavor profiles, which add to the importance of selecting the appropriate glass.
Vinum was developed by Georg J. Riedel, not on a drawing board but through sensory workshops - a concept where the performance and the content command the shape - and which was developed by the RIEDEL family.
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The introduction of the Sommeliers series in 1973 achieved worldwide recognition. A glass was born that turns a sip into a celebration – a wine’s best friend – fine-tuned to match the grape! We invite you to share this fascinating and unique experience. You don't need to be a wine writer, a wine maker, or an expert to taste the difference that a RIEDEL glass can make.
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