Riedel – and Others, Help Elevate and Enhance the Hospitality Wine Experience

VERITAS is the latest Riedel launch targeted at enhancing the guest wine experience The Wall Street Journal published an article the other day on Riedel glassware and George Riedel. And while I am still unclear of the what the author’s point was trying to be, one thing that is clear…..the passion of George Riedel and his company to elevate the wine drinking experience by producing the best possible vessels for enjoying wine is hard to match.

For hospitality professionals, the qulaity – and passion – at Riedel glassware has been known for some time….and both are appreciated. Through the company’s on-going passion for the winedrinking experience and ability to differentiate its brand by educating wine professionals about taste buds and guiding placement of the wine to various areas on the winedrinker’s tongue, Riedel has remained atop the wineglass world in terms of quality and branding for several decades. 

But, as Georg Riedel is quoted in the WSJ article “Life is a compromise” and the author is correct is point out that there are a number of other wineglass producers who produce perfectly fine glass from which to enjoy your favorite wine. And, in the restaurant and hotel business the compromise is often about combining the practical with the asethetic….while continuing to offer the guest the best possible experience….in this case, the best possible wine experience.

VINTAGE from Pasabahce is one option that hospitality professionals have when selecting great wineglasses So while the WSJ article named Riedel, Zalto, Spiegelau (owned by Riedel), Schott Zwiesel and UK’s John Jenkins as great wineglass resources, we would add names like Pasabahce, Arc, Rona, Luigi Bormioli, Bormioli Rocco, Stolzle and Lucaris to the list. For the hospitality industry, the compromise among these brands is not as great as some would have you believe. These brands all produce top quality products that enhance and elevate the wine experience for the guest, but they also do it at a price that restaurateurs and professionals find acceptable. Additionally, these various wineglass suppliers also each have proprietary ways – through shape design or production methods – to enhance the durability of their wineglasses. With glassware nearly approaching disposable status in the hospitality world, replacement costs are a key driver in wineglass selection.

So, while we love our Riedel Sommelier Burgundy glasses (yes, we confess to be sometimes a bit indulgent) we simply want to make the point that within the hospitality range there are multiple alternatives that may provide a superior guest wine experience as well. And, while they may not carry the prestige of the Riedel brand, they are fine wineglasses that will serve your guests very well in providing an enhanced wine experience. If you are a wine professional, with so many terrific options, this is perhaps the greatest time in a generation to be buying wineglasses.

But, make no mistake, we love and have a great appreciation for the passion – and quality – of the Riedel brand. We also remain big fans of all they do to shine a light on how important glassware is to the wine experience. 

To read the article in the Wall Street Journal, go here:
http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-glass-is-half-full-for-georg-riedel-1412849276?KEYWORDS=riedel