Two Great Wine & Glass Tastings, a Cobra and a Dragon”

In the year which sees London celebrate the Queens Golden Jubilee and host the Olympic Games, Maximilian Riedel returns to Vinopolis, the UKs premier wine venue, to present two special tasting events.

In these entertaining, educational and hugely enjoyable, tutored comparative wine and glass tastings, Maximilian will demonstrate the relationship between the shape of a glass and our perception and enjoyment of fine wines.

Further, Maximilian will present two exclusive new decanters; Cobra Verde, a stunning free-formed magnum decanter, in a worldwide limited edition of just 555 pieces and bearing the engraved signature of Claus Riedel; this piece celebrates the founding of Riedel in Austria. The Great British Dragon Decanter celebrates not only the Year of the Dragon, but also the exciting events taking place in Great Britain in 2012, and is resplendent in the colours of the Union Flag. Both are individually hand-made only by Riedel's most senior master-craftsmen and are functional works of art.

Friday 25^th May at 7.00pm (doors open at 6.00pm)

A great night out and the perfect start to the weekend; featuring Vinum XL, tickets for the tasting are priced from just £55 per person, when purchased as a group of 6 (£329 group ticket) and all participants will take home £100 worth of Riedel glasses free of charge on the night. Single tickets are available at £79 each and a ticket for two at £119 (with £100 worth of glasses and £200 worth of glasses to take home respectively).

A very limited number of VIP Grand Cru passes have been released at £799, to include entrance for 2, plus a signed limited edition Cobra Verde Decanter worth £750 and £200 worth of glasses to take home. VIP clients benefit from priority seating at the front of the auditorium, Champagne on arrival and the opportunity to personally meet Maximilian Riedel.

Saturday 26th May at 12.30pm (doors open at 11.00am)

Why not spend a great Saturday morning in the gourmet paradise of Borough Market, before heading to Vinopolis for our lunchtime tasting. Featuring the new ‘Key to Wine’ set of five Riedel O glasses, tickets for the tasting are priced from less than £35 per person, when purchased as a group of 6 (£199 group ticket) and all participants will take home £65 worth of Riedel glasses free of charge on the night. Single tickets are available at £49 each and a ticket for two at £79 (with £65 worth of glasses and £135 worth of glasses to take home respectively).

A very limited number of VIP Grand Cru passes have been released at £799, to include entrance for 2, plus a signed limited edition Cobra Verde Decanter worth £750 and £135 worth of glasses to take home. VIP clients benefit from priority seating at the front of the auditorium, Champagne on arrival and the opportunity to personally meet Maximilian Riedel.

Purchases of Riedel products made at the event will attract at least a 20% discount (special decanters excluded).

Book before the end of March and save 10% when purchasing tickets to the value of £100 or more, by using coupon code ‘EARLYBIRD’ on reaching the checkout page

Tickets are available now from www.riedel.co.uk

The new Heart to Heart collection features five grape varietal specific glasses, featuring bowl shapes which have been designed in conjunction with some of the world’s most renowned wine makers and experts to ensure that a given wine can be enjoyed to the maximum.

Each glass is perfectly executed in sparkling lead free crystal and is supplied in striking new packaging. Retailing at £40.00 for a boxed pair, a second pair can be purchased for just £20.00 Please add the required quantity to your shopping basket and your discount will be calculated automatically.

“Make Time for Wine – in the right glass”

As a key supporter of the UK’s first National Wine Month, Riedel is pleased to announce three very special wine and glass tasting events for May 2011.

The tastings are to be conducted by Maximilian Riedel, CEO of Riedel Crystal of America and designer of the globally successful “O” line and many of Riedels best selling decanter designs.

In these fascinating, educational and enjoyable wine and glass tastings, Maximilian Riedel will demonstrate the relationship between the shape of a glass and our perception and enjoyment of fine wines.

The events will also see the launch of the limited edition Maximilian Riedel Signature Mamba decanter. Designed personally by him for 2011, each decanter is individually hand-made by Riedel's most senior master-craftsmen and carries the personal signature of Maximilian Riedel engraved on the base. The signed piece cannot be bought through retail stores and is exclusively available to those attending the tastings.

The events will take place on the following dates;

Monday 23^rd May at Mansfield Traquiar, Edinburgh – in conjunction with Gulp and Inverarity Vaults

Thursday 26^th & Friday 27^th May at Vinopolis, London

Riedel Crystal, the 250 year old European brand credited with revolutionizing glassware for the enjoyment of wine, officially announces today a strategic global partnership whereby “Riedel exclusively recommends Miele dishwashers”. Following scrupulous laboratory testing and research, Riedel will now endorse Miele as the optimal dishwashers to ensure long-lasting brilliance of the brand’s Austrian and German-made crystal stemware. Miele, the 112-year-old German manufacturer of premium domestic appliances and commercial equipment will likewise support Riedel as its preferred glassware brand through all brand communications and promotions.

Legendary Austrian tableware and stemware innovator Riedel has built on their range of Black Tie lead crystal decanters with new coloured versions of the Smile, Touch and Bliss models.

Like all Riedel products, these new decanters are innovative and exceptional in both form and function. They are all hand made and mouth blown by master glassmakers in Austria, with 24% lead crystal.

The new designs seamlessly combine form and function – they look sensational, feel perfectly balanced and pour wine like a dream.

Riedel products are adored by those who love elegant, stylish designs that work, and these decanters fit this tradition.

 “Lately, Riedel has been moving towards more organic shapes and subjects,” explains Maximilian Riedel, 11th generation of the glassware making dynasty. “We have designed decanters that reflect the grace of birds in flight; and created the Eve decanter, whose twists and turns mimic that of the famed serpentine in the age-old tale,” he says.  “Now we move to a physical representation of human emotions through shape; it’s a natural evolution.” As well as being works of art in their own right, they help wine to aerate and open up, so that the aromas and flavours can be fully appreciated. Young as well as old wines benefit from the process, and it is not necessary to be a wine buff to appreciate the difference decanting a wine can make.

The original clear, lyre-shaped Amadeo decanter (£350.00) was introduced in 2006 to commemorate Riedel’s 250^th anniversary, the name a nod to fellow Austrian, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose 250^th birthday was also celebrated that year. This hand blown, lead crystal decanter is shaped like a lyre and pours like a dream. Wine is simply decanted into the vessel’s wider opening and poured into the glass through its slender mouth. Effortless and pleasurable to use, the Amadeo decanter is a reminder that functional objects can be works of art.