Riedel Crystal, the 300-year-old global leader in varietal-specific glassware, added New Zealand to its list of global subsidiaries in January this year, trading out of Auckland under RSN New Zealand.
The business will be run administratively from RSN Australia’s Sydney office, with the assistance of a local sales team in New Zealand, and a new partnership with reputable distributor Negociants New Zealand across licensed on- and off-premise venues, and wineries.
10th generation Georg J. Riedel states, “We are looking forward to raising Riedel’s profile in New Zealand. We have worked hard to ensure we are going to market with a refined range of products and a newly engineered pricing structure, which is much more advantageous to the wholesale and retail market. We know there are many fantastic opportunities in New Zealand.”
New Zealand has been a focus for 10th generation Georg J. Riedel since 2013, when he hosted a sensory workshop in Central Otago to discover the perfect glass for their unique style of Pinot Noir. As a favoured variety of Georg J. Riedel’s, he has long held a desire to ensure that there is a perfect glass in the portfolio for every Pinot Noir-growing region. The brand, credited with revolutionizing glassware for the enjoyment of beverages, regularly tests and evolves their products to ensure the shapes remain the suitable and relevant, as new production methods and techniques arise within the wine industry.
In March 2013, Georg Riedel asked the Central Otago Winegrowers Association if he could host a sensory workshop in the region, the process by which the brand produces all their iconic varietal-specific glassware. Riedel secured attendance from 11 wineries: Felton Road, Mt Difficulty, Peregrine, Rippon, Akarua, Carrick, Rockburn, Quartz Reef, Maude, Mt Edward, and Amisfield. Alongside local media, the participants sampled the same wines from 14 differently shaped glasses. They were instructed to analyse the aroma, taste, and overall flavour profile, to determine the best performing glass. Following rounds of elimination, two glasses stood out above the others: the Vinum XL Pinot Noir and the Vinum Extreme Pinot Noir.
The Central Otago Pinot Noir glass incorporates the best features from these two glasses, in order to elevate the drinker’s experience and enjoyment. This newly shaped glass has been fine-tuned to highlight the distinctive flavour profile of this young wine-growing region. Unique from other Pinot Noir glasses in the Riedel portfolio, the Central Otago Pinot Noir glass accentuates the aroma and taste of the region’s typical fruit-forward and intense mineral style.
The new Central Otago Pinot Noir glass will be available to consumers as a part of the Heart to Heart range, at $64.95 for two, and to on- and off-premise through Negociants New Zealand, from May 2015.
