About Sponsor:

Riedel (pronounced ree-d?l), is a manufacturer of high-quality crystal wine glasses and related glass products based in Kufstein, Austria. Originally established in Bohemia in 1756, the company has been owned by the same family for more than 250 years. Georg Riedel (11th generation) and Maximilian Riedel (12th generation) currently head up the €265 million per year glass business. Riedel is the originator of the concept of having many different glasses with characteristics designed to enhance specific types of wines.[citation needed] These range from the short, narrow-mouthed port glass, holding around 250 mL, to the balloon-shaped Burgundy glass, capable of holding an entire bottle of wine. In theory, the different shapes direct the wine to different parts of the mouth, emphasizing the best characteristics of the class of wines. Another characteristic of Riedel glasses is that they are designed to hold a small amount of wine relative to the volume of the glass, allowing the aroma of the wine to collect in the bowl. Typically a normal "glass of wine" will occupy about a third or less of a Riedel stem. The handmade mouth-blown crystal wine glass collection, Riedel Sommelier, is regarded as the finest in the world by many wine professionals.[who?][citation needed] The critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. says, "The finest glasses for both technical and hedonistic purposes are those made by Riedel. The effect of these glasses on fine wine is profound. I cannot emphasize enough what a difference they make."[unreliable source?] In 2004 Riedel acquired the F X Nachtmann Group and, with it, one of its biggest rivals at the time, Spiegelau.