Pictured above: Maximilian Riedel, CEO of RIEDEL

One of the fine wine industry’s most recognisable names, Maximilian Riedel is the eleventh-generation owner of leading glassware manufacturer, RIEDEL. Becoming CEO of RIEDEL Crystal America at just 25, Maximilian played a pioneering role in establishing America as its largest export market before taking the reins of the international RIEDEL corporation in 2013. He has since pioneered a revolutionary approach to wine glass design, placing an utmost importance on the impact of vessel shape and size on a wine’s aromas and taste. Based in Tirol, Austria, Maximilian has also established a strong social media presence, with over 500,000 followers tuning in to his Instagram to see what he is drinking, and, more importantly, in what glass.

Read on to learn about Maximilian’s fondness for supermarket wine selections and whether there is such a thing as the perfect wine glass.

Wine Lister: What does ‘fine wine’ mean to you?

Maximilian Riedel: Selecting the proper glass to unlock a wine’s beauty, its structure, and its quality.

WL: What is the best restaurant wine list in Austria?

MR: Although Tirol is a very tourist-orientated area, I am often pleasantly surprised by the selection of wines offered by its restaurants. Hotel Restaurant Stanglewert’s wine list, for example, features wines from across the world and offers them at very fair prices.

WL: What emerging region are you most excited about?

MR: Austria! We’re known for whites, of course, but due to climate change, we can now do a fabulous job with reds. England too - their sparkling wine is great.

WL: Your go-to wine shop?

MR: We don’t have access to fine wine merchants where I live, but the local supermarkets offer such a great range that I’m not sure I would need to go to the boutiques even if they were there! When I was in Paris recently, I also found an amazing selection of champagnes at a local supermarket there. My cellar at home is also stocked with bottles I have purchased during en primeur and at auction.

WL: If you could share a glass of wine with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you drink?

MR: My dad - I learnt everything I know about wine from him. Nobody has more respect for wine, and no one has the professional know-how that he does. The excitement and joy that wine gives him is contagious.

WL: If you weren’t making glassware, what would you be doing?

MR: As bad as it may sound, I have never had to think about it - I was born into this role. But if my cards had been dealt differently, perhaps I’d have given winemaking a go. Something to do with wine!

WL: What do you drink when you’re not drinking wine?

MR: Water.

WL: Are you doing dry January?

MR: No - and my Instagram followers hate me for it because I continue to promote great wine throughout January, making them want to give up early!

WL: What is the ideal bottle size?

MR: There are two ways of looking at it: which bottle format does the wine develop best in, and which format is the most fun. Nothing is more fun than opening an imperial - the sexiest bottle alive - but you have to have a good crowd of people to share it with.

WL: What is it about large-format bottles that you find so captivating?

MR: Size really does matter when you’re entertaining! Wow factor - that’s what it's all about. Big bottles force you to use decanters too and I love the spectacle of this.

WL: Do you ever drink alone?

MR: Never - especially if my wife isn’t willing to share a bottle with me. It's not nearly as fun to drink alone. My children often ask me why we have such a large bar filled with so many spirits when I never drink them. I have collected them over time to decorate the space. You’ll rarely see me drinking them though.

WL: Can you walk us through the process of designing one of your most iconic glasses?

MR: First and foremost, RIEDEL glasses are grape-specific. But I think we are at the point where the perfect glass shape for each variety changes over time, due to varying winemaking styles and alcohol content. Then you need to think about the look and feel of the glass. As we are one of the very few wine glass manufacturers who produce both hand- and machine-made glassware, we are constantly thinking about how we can push the technology further (for example, in terms of thinness and weight distribution). We always want to create something new and we pride ourselves on being the industry trendsetters - the customers want something they haven’t seen before. This is all balanced with staying true to what the glasses stand for: the grape variety.

WL: Do you believe the perfect wine glass exists?

MR: The perfect glass can exist in the moment. It can be perfect for the bottle of Pinot Noir you are about to pour, for instance, but there is not one glass that fits all. Once you have gone to one of our wineglass seminars, you can truly understand this concept. Compare wine to golf, for example - you couldn’t show up to an 18-hole game with just one club. People wouldn't take you seriously and you definitely wouldn't win.