Maximilian Riedel holder vinsmaking i Oslo og Stavanger
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MAXIMILIAN RIEDEL: BIOGRAPHY
Maximilian Josef Riedel, 11th generation glassmaker, is CEO of Riedel Crystal America. Born in Vienna in 1977, Maximilian joined the family business at the age of 20, training in sales and administration. He introduced Riedel into the Dubai market, and then spent two years in Paris with Riedel and its French importer, Ercuis, where he managed sales and conducted tastings.

Since taking the reins of the U.S. operation, Maximilian has quadrupled Riedel's sales in the U.S. and Canada -- making this the company's largest export market. Always on the go, he frequently travels to conduct glass tastings where consumers and trade can experience first hand why the glass makes a difference in wine enjoyment. His charm, quick wit and depth of knowledge has made him a sought after speaker at wine festivals and tastings. In 2009, Maximilian along with his father Georg Riedel (10th generation), introduced over 7,000 people to the Riedel glass tasting experience.

Maximilian introduced Riedel Restaurant in 2001 exclusively for restaurants who wanted to provide their guests a 3-star wine experience along with a 3-star food experience. Just a few years later, in 2004, he created the successful and sometimes-controversial Riedel "O" stemless tumbler which became the most successful new collection in Riedel's history. Since the series debut, the "O" Chardonnay glass was selected for permanent collection at the Corning Museum of Glass.

Not content to only design stemware, Maximilian has also created a number of award-winning decanters. His first, Cornetto, was inspired by the graceful neck of a swan and has become a sommelier favorite over years. Next came the ergonomic "O" decanter, whose design balances effortlessly in the hand and won the prestigious Good Design award for outstanding industrial design presented by the Chicago Athenaeum. Following a trip to Venice in 2007, Maximilian collaborated with his father on three dramatic decanters representing birds in flight-Swan, Paloma and Flamingo; and in 2009 Swan was chosen as a winner of the Red Dot Award for product design. Continuing to push the boundaries of design while remaining true to Riedel's "form follows function" philosophy, Maximilian designed the innovative cobra-like Eve decanter in 2008 which now holds a patent from the German government. Exotically shaped and crafted to enhance wine enjoyment to the max, Eve double decants wine as the liquid flows into and out of the coils achieving hours of decanting in just moments.

Recently, as a way to cultivate new talent and designs, Maximilian spearheaded partnerships with two renowned U.S. art and design schools. In 2008, he and his team worked with Parsons The New School for Design and created a competition for students to develop new products and designs for Riedel's lifestyle brand, Nachtmann, while at the same time providing the students with a real world design experience. A clear success, the winning design, SLICE, by Viktoriya Braginsky was introduced to the market in 2009 under the Nachtmann label to rave reviews. Elated by the response to the collaboration, Maximilian has confirmed that Riedel will work with a new group of young design students and has organized a similar program with the venerable PRATT Institute for 2010.

Awards and Honors
- Good Design Award for designing "O" Thumbs Up Decanter, Chicago Athenaeum, 2005
- Good Design Award for designing "O" Stemless Tasting Glass, Chicago Athenaeum, 2005
- Member, Young Presidents Organization since 2006
- Special guest of Honor, High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction, 2006
- Tastemaker, House & Garden Magazine, 2006
- Appreciation Award, Orange County Wine Society, 2007
- Member, L'Ordre du Bontemps, 2007
- Corporate Leadership Award, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, 2008
- Red Dot Design Award for designing the Swan Decanter, 2009