/
Gabrielle Vizzavona: Riedel is celebrating its 265th anniversary this year. How did you first become interested in wine glasses?
Maximilian Riedel: We have focused on wine glasses since my grandfather’s generation—Professor Claus Riedel—who was passionate about wine. Before him, grape-varietal-specific glasses didn’t exist. Proud of his creation, he travelled the world to show it. At first, it didn’t work. He would go to restaurants with his own glass; people thought he was crazy. Then he had sommeliers compare how wines expressed themselves in his glasses rather than in theirs. They couldn’t believe the difference. Our company’s success was built on word of mouth. In 1973, he named his first collection of eight different glasses “Sommelier,” in honour of those who helped make it known. His passion for wine was then passed on to my father, who began organising comparative tastings so that both professionals and consumers could appreciate the impact our glasses have on the taste of wine.
G.V.: You collaborate with some of the greatest estates to create the perfect tasting glasses. How did you approach these iconic winemakers?
M.R.: My father is a very good taster, which allowed us to be taken seriously by the profession. During a blind tasting with Aubert de Villaine (owner of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) in early 2000, he identified La Tâche 1975. Everyone was surprised that a glassmaker could do that. That’s Riedel: we take wine very seriously. My father learned alongside giants of the industry—Gaja, Mondavi, Moueix… They invited him to events because he understood wine and made the glasses that allowed them to present their own in the best light. Every Riedel glass in our range is finalised in collaboration with winemakers.
G.V.: Don’t restaurants—and private individuals—make enough effort when it comes to choosing their glasses?
M.R.: The balloon glass, the kind you find in French bistros, is an absurdity. When you spend money on beautiful bottles, it’s sacrilege to pour them into a balloon. Wine deserves respect.
G.V.: How do you convince the public of the huge difference a good glass can make to the perception of wine?
M.R.: You have to show them! We do it at major comparative tasting events—some bring together more than 500 people. It’s a spectacle. People can’t believe they’re smelling the same wine in different glasses, yet finding neither the same aromas on the nose nor the same sensations on the palate.
G.V.: What influences perception?
M.R.: The rim (the lip of the glass) is the most important part. You can enhance the perception of wine by influencing how it enters the mouth. The smaller the rim, the more it forces the taster to tilt their head back to access the wine. The first contact is then the tip of the tongue, which encourages a heightened perception of sweetness and fruit at the expense of acidity. It’s the ideal format for dry white wines driven by acidity, like Sauvignon Blanc. When the rim is wide, the wine reaches the palate more easily, which helps moderate the perception of tannins; that’s ideal for tannic varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon. Perfect shapes weren’t determined overnight—they have been refined over time through experimentation and will always continue to evolve, not least because changing climatic conditions impact the style of wines.
G.V.: How did the idea for the Riedel Performance collection come about?
M.R.: It started with a glass I had to create for Krug rosé champagne. I wanted to design a small glass that could benefit from the same properties as a large one. The idea came to me while deflating my daughter’s inflatable boat: when you “deflate” a wide glass, it retains the same functions because it creates grooves inside the bowl—more internal surface area, which promotes oxygenation of the wine. I thought I had invented something, but in fact these are the same grooves you find in the Burgundian tastevin.
G.V.: You have a strong community on Instagram, @maxiriedel. How did you build your popularity on social media?
M.R.: My mentor was Gary Vaynerchuk, the social media guru in the United States. We met as we were both joining our respective family businesses. He advised me to be present there, and I got involved from the very beginning. I dedicate an hour a day to it. It’s a fantastic tool to educate and stay in touch with our clients, both private individuals and professionals. I have a very close-knit community, and I answer all its questions myself.
GV
