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, bordering Schlesia - today the Czech republic and Poland respectively. This part of Bohemia was a German speaking enclave known as the Sudetenland. The Venetians brought back the knowledge of glass making from the Near East around 1.000 A.D. The knowledge of producing glass spread slowly towards the northern part of Europe, searching for energy, critical to the melting of glass. Wood was the source, causing a glassmaker migration to the forests. Due to this migration, a glass culture developed in Bohemia in the 17th century.

The first Riedel in the trade of luxury glass goods was Johann Christoph Riedel, born in 1678. He journeyed all over Europe trading glass, travelling as far as Spain and Portugal. The earnings from the business justified the long, arduous and dangerous travels.

The 9th generation, Claus J. Riedel (born 1925) had a vision. He changed stemware from traditional coloured and cut glass to plain, unadorned, thin blown, long stemmed wine glasses. He gained immediate recognition from sophisticated customers and museums. Many design awards signalled 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. His master piece "Sommeliers" was introduced in Orvieto, 30 years ago, the first ever stemware line to be based on the character of wine. For more details visit and purchase on online www.etabletop.com