Riedel in town

The man who helped grow the market for vessels designed specifically for different wines is hosting a “Riedel Glass Tasting” event at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Nov. 22.

Georg Riedel is the former head of Riedel Glas Austria, the more than 250-year-old family business famed for the style-specific wine glasses that created a stir when first released in 1973.

Riedel, whose family business roots go back 10 generations, is also the pioneer who launched the Vinum collection, the “first machine-made, varietal-specific fine crystal glasses in the world,” over a decade ago.

That more “affordable” Vinum collection played a role in spreading the word about the posh Austrian glassware brand to the masses.

This Friday, Riedel will be in town to host a dinner featuring the latest Vinum XL series, which will be used to showcase the 2011 Gerard Bertrand Cigalus Blanc, 2007 Louis Jadot Chambolle-Musigny and 2010 Ridge Vineyards Geyserville Zinfandel vintages.

The event will be an opportunity for guests to decide for themselves just how effective Riedel glasses are at bringing out the beauty of a viognier-chardonnay blend, as well as the pinot noir and zinfandel varietals.

Following the wine tasting, diners will be served a four-course dinner that will kick off with salmon confit, herb salad and Tattinger Brut Reserve Champagne, followed by a braised, herbed chicken crepe cannelloni and 2010 Louis Jadot Volnay. Beef tenderloin will be paired with 2008 Barone Ricasoli Castello di Brolio and followed by dessert.

Not only will diners be able to take the glasses for a test drive, they will also get to take home a set of Vinum XL glasses, which were “developed for big, bold and concentrated wines” and are worth approximately 220,000 won.

The “Riedel Glass Tasting” will run from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 22 at the Grand Hyatt Seoul. Dinner costs 260,000 won. For more information, call (02) 799-8899 or email selrs-dine@hyatt.com.

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)