Claus Josef Riedel
Claus Josef Riedel (born February 19, 1925 – deceased March 17, 2004) was an Austrian glassmaker, businessman, professor of chemistry, and chemical engineer. He was the 9th-generation owner of Riedel (glass manufacturer), an Austrian glassware manufacturer established in 1756 and best known for its production of grape varietal-specific glassware designed to enhance types of wines based on specific properties of individual grape varietals.
Claus Riedel was among the first glassware experts in history to recognize that the taste of wine is affected by the shape of the glass from which it is consumed, and is credited with first discovering the concept of varietal-specificity in glassware, developing varietal-specific glassware shapes and bringing these glasses to the consumer market. Riedel served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Riedel Crystal from 1957 until 1994.[1]
Early life
Claus Riedel was born in 1925 in Polaun, Bohemia, located in the contemporary Czech Republic, to Walter Riedel and Claudia Riedel (née Prollius). Riedel was drafted by the German Army to fight in World War II where he fought Italian partisans in Tuscany and Liguria. In 1945, he was captured by American forces and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp near Pisa, Italy for ten months. In January 1946, Riedel escaped by jumping from a train entering Austria.[2]
Career
After his escape to Austria, he stayed in the country and found a job working for glassmaker Daniel Swarovski, who had once been an apprentice to Riedel’s great-grandfather Josef Riedel.
Soon thereafter, Riedel enrolled in the University of Innsbruck, located in the Austrian state of Tyrol, where he studied chemistry. After graduating, he spent five years working various jobs throughout Europe. In 1955 he was contacted by The Austrian People’s Party Prime Minister, Reinhard Kamitz. Kamitz invited Riedel to return to Austria and take over the bankrupt Tiroler Glashütte glassware factory.
In 1957, Claus Riedel was joined by his father, Walter Riedel, in reconstructing and reopening the glassware factory, turning it into today’s Riedel Glass Factory in Kufstein, Austria. Prior to World War II, the factory produced heavy industrial glass, but upon reopening, Claus Riedel changed its specialization to be fine, hand-made glasses.
Claus Riedel served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Riedel Crystal from 1957 until 1994.
Design Innovations
As a glassmaker, Claus Riedel was interested primarily in function over appearance, and broke away from the traditional richly cut, heavy and thick glass designs of the time.
He spent 16 years studying the physics of wine delivery to the mouth and taste buds and experimenting with different glass configurations, matching them with wines of different regions, grape origin and age to create stemware that would match and complement specific wines and spirits. He was among the first glassware experts in history to recognize that the taste of wine is affected by the shape of the glass from which it is consumed.
From these experiments, Claus Riedel created the Burgundy Grand Cru glass in 1958. The Burgundy Grand Cru glass was made to enhance the flavors and aromas of the Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo grape varietals, specifically for Burgundy, Barolo, and Barbaresco wines, and was first exhibited at the World Exhibition in Brussels, Expo 58 (The Brussels Worlds Fair) , where it received a Gold Medal for its creative and striking design. Within months, it was acquired by the Museum of Modern Arts in New York for the museum’s permanent collection.
In 1961, Riedel Crystal introduced the first full line of wine glasses created for different wines created by Claus Riedel. Riedel perfected these varietal-specific wine glasses in 1973 with the introduction of its most notable glass collection, the Sommeliers Series, the world’s first gourmet glasses.
Awards and Nominations
During his lifetime, Claus Riedel was honored with 28 design prizes and awards for his creations. Notable honors include:
- 1958: World Exhibition, Expo 58, Brussels – Gold Medal
- 1958: Museum of Modern Art, Burgundy Grand Cru glass selected for permanent collection
- 1959: Sommeliers Series Burgundy Grand Cru glass awarded Most Beautiful Glass in the World, Corning Museum of Glass
- 1960: La Triennale di Milano, Silver Medal
- 1966: American Institute of Interior Designers Award
Death
On March 17, 2004, Claus Riedel died in Genoa, Italy from a heart attack at the age of 79. Riedel’s survivors include his son, Georg Josef Riedel, former President of Riedel Crystal, and grandson, Maximilian Riedel, current President and CEO of Riedel Crystal.