Riedel ’ s English Sparkling Wine Glass
The quest for Riedel ’ s English Sparkling Wine Glass began in Kent , September 2011 , with a workshop hosted by Richard Balfour-Lynn at Hush Heath Estate , led by Georg Riedel . In 2014 , his son Maximilian took over as CEO and visited our vineyards for the first time . In November 2021 , the project was revived with Wine Garden of England .
In January 2023 , Maximilian conducted wine glass development workshops with 25 foremost wine producers from Hampshire , Kent and Sussex to discover the perfect glass .
The Wine Garden of England workshop was hosted by Squerryes Estate , where a panel of winemakers and wine experts tasted four English sparkling wines from Kent from a shortlist of 12 different Riedel glasses . All wines were tasted blind , and the process eliminated , in stages , those glasses which failed to show the best expression of the wines - then focused , in fine detail , on those glasses which revealed the best elements of the wines both on the palate and on the nose .
Each workshop was conducted independently , and so it was especially pleasing that a unanimous decision was reached across all three panels , with the same glass being selected as the best at each session . The winning glass shape was the Riesling in the Riedel Veloce range .
Speaking after the event , Maximilian Riedel said : “ I have long admired English sparkling wines , since I made my first vineyard visits here almost 10 years ago . In that time , I have seen the industry grow and the wine develop to a truly internationally high standard , so that it is amongst the very best sparkling wines in the world . I am proud to support English sparkling wines with a specific Riedel glass , which shows the fruit , the freshness , and the complexity of these great wines at their very best .” He went on to say : “ It is especially pleasing and forward-thinking that , in selecting a Riedel Veloce glass , the panel recognised a glass which uses brand-new , state-ofthe-art glassmaking technology , where we are able to produce , by machine , a wine glass which is as fine and as light and as balanced as a handmade glass and , as such , is world leading in its field .”
The glass then saw some adaptations – namely , a nucleation point added to improve the way in which the glass manages the mousse , and the text ‘ English Sparkling ’ added to the base .
Simon Thorpe MW , CEO at Wine GB , the organisation which represents the UK wine industry added : “ We are absolutely delighted that Maximilian Riedel has chosen to create a bespoke English Sparkling Wine Glass . The selection process was fascinating and very robust , and the chosen glass is a wonderful outcome . Certainly , the glass showcased the full quality and complexity of the wines , both on the nose and palate . To have an English Sparkling Wine Glass of such quality created especially for our wines is a real marker of the development of the industry and its growing reputation both on the domestic and international marketplace .”
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