Behind the Scenes

Glassware RIEDEL: BEHIND THE SCENES It’s a name that’s as well known in the world of top-quality wine as any of the grands crus, and its products grace tables from the most exclusive white-cloth establishments to those of the wine enthusiast at home. Georgina Hindle reveals the history and expertise that lie behind Austria’s famed producer of fine crystal glassware

hink of an object that’s made today as it was 3,000 years ago – the list wouldn’t be long. It may include the production of paper, Ta rudimentary pen perhaps, a block of cement even. But the humble glass could happily sit at the top. Arguably a fundamental part of wine enjoyment, the wine glass itself has of course evolved over time, but the initial recipe, perfected by the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Persians, has hardly changed. Glass production has evolved, but it is only in the last 50 years that wine glasses have become both aesthetic and epicurean, style and substance, form and functionality – elevated from a utilitarian object to one deemed essential for wine lovers everywhere. ‘Stemware is crucial to the overall sensory enjoyment of wine,’ believes Amanda Wassmer-Bulgin, former Bilanz Sommelier of the Year and current wine director at the 5-star Grand Resort Bad Ragaz Quellenhof in Switzerland. ‘A prime example is Champagne. All the hard work that goes into achieving layers of complex aroma can be thrown away in seconds by the use of a small, narrow glass. All you get is a one-dimensional character.’ The wine glass revolution can be wholly credited to one family – the Riedels – but more specifically to three members: the current and previous two generations, who initiated an entire industry and continue in its influence today. Sommeliers range, which fundamentally Clockwise from above: changed the appearance of stemware in a Riedel decanter in a Generational changes accordance with the character of a wine. furnace; hand-crafting First it was Claus Josef Riedel, born 1925, the Claus’ son Georg J Riedel, the Decanter Hall the bowl of a glass; ninth-generation founder of Riedel’s current of Fame Award winner in 1996, developed this Riedel’s striking Horn headquarters in Kufstein, Austria and the one stage further, creating the first grape decanter, its contours inventor of the modern-day egg-shaped glass. varietal-specific concept. Working alongside emphasised by a Not only did he produce a design which has winemakers including Robert Mondavi and golden-yellow stripe been the basis for every wine glass since, but Angelo Gaja, Georg brought the Vinum series with black outlines he went on to launch his masterpiece and with it a new drinking mentality to a

74 | November 2020 • Decanter

Riedel, behind the scenes.indd 74 21/09/2020 14:31 global audience. His son, 11th-generation Maximilian J Riedel, continues the innovation ‘Hand-blown items cost up to five today, driving the company’s commitment to quality. The revolutionary stemless ‘O’ series times more than their machine-made launched in 2004, and was followed by the hospitality trade-focused Restaurant and counterparts and represent less than Sommeliers Restaurant ranges. 5% of Riedel’s total output’ Form follows function The Riedel philosophy centres on the ‘architecture of a glass’. For stemware, this means the proportions between the bowl, overall improvement in quality and because of stem and base; taking into account individual climate change. ‘Wines are becoming more grape varieties, it includes the shape, size and fruit-forward, more concentrated and higher rim diameter of the bowl, each working in in alcohol, and because of this our glasses harmony to ‘translate the message of wine’ grow in size,’ says Maximilian. Each one is and be its ‘loudspeaker’. conceptualised, designed, prototyped and There are more than 150 different glasses tested in-house before being released. to choose from – just for wine that is, not to Winemakers are a key part of the process, mention a large list of client commissions joining multiple tasting sessions to decide counting Champagnes Krug and Dom Pérignon on ‘the’ glass; and thousands of one-on- among them, or the 50-plus decanters in the one Riedel tasting seminars around the company’s repertoire. There are also separate world conclude that bouquet, texture, spirits and water ranges, and individual taste and flavour are all influenced glasses for Coca-Cola and Nespresso. positively or negatively by the shape of From table wines to grands crus, there’s a different glasses. ‘It’s the best way to ‘varietal specific’ or ‘wine friendly’ glass for it. sell,’ Maximilan says. ‘This, “wow, I can’t There’s a Brunello di Montalcino glass, and believe the difference” moment’. 12 Riesling glasses, the latest being one of the largest glasses One vs many Riedel has made. Why? To factor However, Wassmer-Bulgin argues that in aesthetics, the evolution of wine styles, there’s no need for ‘millions of glasses’, ➢

Decanter • November 2020 | 75

Riedel, behind the scenes.indd 75 21/09/2020 14:31 Glassware

‘One pair of shoes doesn’t suit every occasion, the same as you can’t play 18 holes with one golf club’ Maximilian J Riedel (right, with father Georg)

highlighting Riedel’s Chianti Classico glass as a good all-rounder – coincidentally, the same type that Decanter uses at all its Fine Wine Encounter events, for the Decanter World Wine Awards judging and for in-house tastings. She adds that a ‘small, concise number avoids confusion and excessive costs’. In the same vein, prominent critic Jancis Robinson MW launched her ‘one glass for all wines’ in 2018 as a ‘practical option’, and other ‘universal’ wine glasses are also available on the market. For Maximilian, this notion is ‘impossible’ because of the complexity of grapes. He says ‘whoever claims it works either lies or has no clue about wine’. It’s the same with shoes or professional sports equipment, he says: ‘One pair doesn’t suit every occasion, the same as you can’t play 18 holes with one golf club.’ Whether you’re a convert on not, it’s hard to argue with an industry worth an estimated US$1bn and growing. And it’s not just the glasses that Riedel develops – it also invests heavily in creating the proprietary technology to manufacture them. ➢ Riedel: glass formulation and processes

Scientifically speaking, glass is composed of formers, fluxes and stabilisers, which each work to affect the mechanical, electrical, chemical, optical and thermal properties of the glass that is produced. Formers make up the largest percentage, in the case of Riedel, white silica (silicon dioxide), commonly found in nature as quartz and the major constituent of sand. Soda (sodium carbonate) and potash (potassium carbonate) are common fluxes, needed to lower the high temperature at which silica melts, around 2,000°C. Stabilisers are used to ensure the glass is strong and water-resistant, with lime (calcium oxide) a popular choice. The highest-quality quartz sand is found in Bavaria in southern Germany, but the exact chemical composition used at Riedel – the best-known supplier of specialist glassware with an empire unmatched by its competition in either size or stature – is kept secret and known only by a handful of experts among its 500 staff; a tall task when each glass will be tested for its brightness and crystal clarity. Once the mixture has been through a rigorous washing, fining and filtering process, it is transported as pellets to either a machine-pressed or Above: inside Riedel’s Kufstein headquarters mouth-blown glassmaking facility, ready to be melted.

76 | November 2020 • Decanter

Riedel, behind the scenes.indd 76 21/09/2020 14:32 Glassware

Left: workers attach a Riedel glass stem by hand

Right: glassware Masters in action featuring Riedel’s From machines that can flawlessly mimic a Boa decanter and mouth-blown bowl in five-and-a-half seconds, Veritas Old World and a decanter in less than 15 seconds, to Syrah glasses hand-crafted decanters that imitate the effects of double decanting in minutes, every step is not only meticulous, but efficient. Riedel’s Kufstein headquarters, nestled ‘Wines are becoming more fruit- among the mist-topped Tyrol mountains close to the German border, is the company’s ‘heart forward, more concentrated and and soul’, Maximilian told me during a visit earlier this year. Open to some 20,000 visitors higher in alcohol, and because of annually, it houses a historic glass museum, sensory experience and well-stocked outlet, this our glasses grow in size’ as well as Riedel’s artisanal factory – or should Maximilian J Riedel I say, incredibly hot and large workshop warehouse. It is here that master glassmakers take molten glass from nine blazing furnaces, each firing at around 1,200°C, and expertly craft small works of art in less than half the Below: Riedel’s Kufstein quickly and seamlessly to lift, cut, blow, mould time it takes to boil a kettle. headquarters lies near and shape each glass and decanter before Working in a fierce 45°C heat and clad in the river Inn, encircled transferring them to an ‘annealing lehr’ oven white t-shirts, shorts and protective shoes, by the Kaiser mountain to temper – a lengthy process in which freshly some also sporting sunglasses, the highly range in Austria’s Tyrol manufactured glass is strengthened by being skilled teams from countries with long slowly cooled to relieve the internal stresses. histories of glassmaking – including Slovakia, While this skill is understandably cherished, Slovenia and the Czech Republic – work Maximilian admits it is a ‘tough environment’ and, with the closure of historic glass teaching schools in neighbouring countries, there is a risk that this ‘breed of artists is going to vanish if times continue to change’. Given the necessary workforce and tools, and considering production time (about 2,000 pieces are made daily), hand-blown items cost up to five times more than their machine- made counterparts and as such represent less than 5% of Riedel’s total output. March of modernity Machine-manufacture facilities in Weiden and Amberg in Germany handle the remaining production, the latter for the Riedel O and Restaurant ranges, in addition to the Spiegelau and Nachtmann lines which were bought into

78 | November 2020 • Decanter

Riedel, behind the scenes.indd 78 21/09/2020 16:23 the company fold in 2004. In Weiden, pre- different, and secondly there are tiny, almost Covid, they were running 24 hours a day, imperceptible ripples in the base of hand-blown seven days a week, somewhat noisily – glasses visible when held at a certain angle. pouring, shaping, cutting, polishing, cleaning While the mouth-blowing process retains a and tempering. Each item is then physically crucial advantage in allowing for the bending inspected and hand-packaged, bringing the of the rim to capture aromas – a feat that’s total number of processes to about 15, with six impossible to do with a machine plunger that separate quality-control steps along the way. shapes and presses the final form – the Air pressure and filtered water are crucial limitations of machine-made glassware are in the lubrication and cushioning of the glass lessening. ‘Sooner or later machines will as it’s shaped in the heavy-duty moulds replace craftsmanship,’ Maximilian believes. specific to each style. Production changes Price comparisons put a handmade High every few days, with the hundreds of moulds Performance Pinot Noir glass at £110, while not in use stored neatly in rows until needed; the machine-made Performance Pinot Noir it takes eight weeks to make a set of the comes in at £22.50 when bought in a pair. You moulds, which comprise 15-20 pieces and cost may not want to pay extra for the ‘iconic light between £10,000-£15,000. Riedel’s glass optic impact’ said to deliver a perfect production runs at a quality ratio of 60/40, ‘performance’, or the extra 8cm stem height – with 40% of good material being recycled back but there is something unique about watching through the system – a necessary sacrifice the process and then handling the exquisitely that ensures standards and a consistent and handcrafted final result. constant supply of high-quality material. ‘Wine is a luxury,’ Maximilian emphasises. The factory processes 50 tonnes of glass a ‘You don’t need it to stay alive.’ Never has this Based in Bordeaux, day, enough to make 10,000-15,000 pieces. been more apt, given the current climate, but Georgina Hindle is a Once packaged, approximately one million units studies have found that people are drinking Decanter regional await despatch in the enormous storage room. more at home and better-quality wines. ‘It is editor Machines now work so effectively that the still an investment: if you like drinking quality only tell-tale signs of a handmade glass are on wines, you need a glass that will best unlock the base; firstly and most evidently the logo is the flavours, it’s as simple as that.’ D

WORLD WINE AWARDS STICKERS

Promote your DWWA winning wines today by purchasing bottle stickers at shop.decanterawards.com

Riedel, behind the scenes.indd 79 21/09/2020 14:32