Riedel: The Wine Glass Company
The Riedel family has
been in the glass business for
300 years, with 11 generations
keeping the family business
intact. The Riedel story begins
in 1678 in the northern part of
Bohemia.
The first Riedel in the trade of luxury glass goods was Johann Christoph Riedel, born in 1678. He journeyed all over Europe trading glass, traveling as far as Spain and Portugal.
The next generation, Anton Leopold, 4th generation (1761-1821) radically changed his father's production from window panes to pure luxury goods, such as chandelier parts and ornate glassware.
Franz Xaver, 5th generation (1786-1844) became a famous engraver in his youth. He signed his works of art, which are available at auctions even today.
He later became an important entrepreneur, enjoying European demand for his goods.
His main success derived from his addition of unknown colors to glass, using Uranium to produce the fluorescent colors,
yellow and green.
The 9th generation, Claus J. Riedel (1925-2004) had a vision. He changed stemware from traditional colored and cut glass to plain, unadorned, thin blown, long stemmed wine glasses.
He gained immediate recognition from sophisticated customers and museums. Many design awards signaled that a new era had began. Museums bought pieces for their exhibition, like the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which today still has Riedel in their permanent collection.
Based on his unique designs, Claus Riedel was first in history to recognize the effect of shapes on the perception of alcoholic beverages. His work has influenced and changed the appearance of stemware forever.
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