GEORG RIEDEL
AND
ANGELO GA JA:
AN INTERVIEW WITH VISIONARIES
By Susan Lanier-Graham
Every wine enthusiast is familiar with Riedel Glass and lovers of fine Italian wines
know Gaja Winery. I recently attended a wine tasting hosted by these two
industry greats and had an opportunity to sit down with the owners of both
companies–Georg Riedel and Angelo Gaja. The once-in-a-lifetime experience
was pure pleasure as I listened to the stories of these two visionaries.
When I met the two men–the calm, mild-mannered Austrian Riedel and the
energetic, ever-moving Italian Gaja–I immediately felt as if I was the center of
their universe. The two had an easy banter back and forth that comes from
years of working together and a sense of mutual respect, but they also wanted
to make certain I understood every detail. Both men smiled easily and had a
self-assured attitude without making me feel inferior. That is a rare trait that has
served both men well as they grew their family legacies to record proportions.
THE BEGINNING
Both the Riedel and Gaja families go back centuries, refining and improving
their crafts over the years. The first Riedel glass dates back to 1673, when one
one of the Riedel ancestors from Bohemia, a glass trader, carried glass on his
back to Spain and Portugal. Throughout the centuries, the Riedel family continued to make glass, despite incredible challenges as Europe underwent political
turmoil and a series of wars. By the 1800′s, Riedel was known far and wide
for its fine glass beads. The family had amassed a fortune, which disappeared
overnight during World War II. At one point during the tumultuous 1950′s,
both Walter and Claus Riedel (Georg’s grandfather and father) were imprisoned by the Soviets and the Czechs. Yet, not even war and prisons could stop
the Riedels. Claus actually jumped from a moving train crossing the Brenner
Pass and made his way to freedom in Austria. There, he was taken in by another
famous glass family, the Swarovskis.
Once Claus and his father were reunited, they were able to press ahead with
plans to restore their family legacy. Unknown to Georg Riedel and Angelo Gaja
at the time, it turns out that 1961 was a pivotal year in both companies. Claus
Riedel, with a loan from Swarovski, bought a glass factory in Austria and in
1961 introduced the first blown glass stemware for which the company is now
famous. Georg didn’t join the company until 1973, but he continues to strive
to create the kind of company his ancestors would be proud of. More importantly, one he can pass along to future generations of Riedels. The idea that
specific glasses can be designed for specific wines is one Riedel has perfected
and is what makes the company famous today. “It’s important to create a wine
experience,” explains Riedel about his glasses.
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FEBRUARY 2014 • LUXE BEAT MAGAZINE
It was also 1961 when Angelo Gaja joined the company his ancestors had built.
Gaja Winery was founded in 1859 and was a rare for the time because it was
a small estate winery, unlike most Italian wineries. The Piedmont region of Italy,
home to the original Gaja vineyards, is thought by some to be one of the most
important growing regions in the world. “Piedmont is special,” explains Gaja.
And making wine? “It’s in my DNA,” he says with a laugh.
While winemaking might be in his DNA, Gaja has worked long and hard to
create a world-class wine. He says he learned everything from his father Giovanni Gaja and grandmother Clotilde Rey. Clotilde was a French school teacher
when she met the first Angelo Gaja and married him. The young woman threw
herself into the winery and learned everything possible about the industry.
“My father was like a maestro teaching me everything,” explains Gaja, his hands
moving as if he himself is a maestro conducting an orchestra. The key ingredient that no one could teach, however, is passion and Gaja has plenty of that.
“You must have passion in what you do or it becomes too heavy,” he explains.
Gaja began his official wine education at age 14, when he attended winemaking school in his hometown of Alba. He would spend weekends at the winery,
learning from his father and grandmother. His grandmother was uneasy with
the young boy tasting wines, but his father quickly reassured her. “My father
told her that he who knows how to drink wine knows how to live.” Gaja spent
six years at the wine school and later attended university to receive a degree in
economics while [