RIEDEL brings 270 years of glassmaking to a new Sydney flagship

A 270th birthday is a good excuse to get the glasses out. RIEDEL has gone a little further, opening its first Australian boutique in North Sydney as the historic glassmaker celebrates the milestone.

The family-owned company, founded in 1756 and now led by its 11th generation, makes wine and spirits glassware with a focus on how shape influences what we smell, taste and experience with wine. “RIEDEL’s history is full of people who were prepared to question the accepted way of doing things," says Mark Baulderstone, Managing Director of RSN Australia. "In 1958, Claus J. Riedel challenged the idea that one glass could suit every wine. That was a bold move, and it changed the way people think about wine service.”

Since then, RIEDEL has continued to experiment with glassware design, challenging assumptions about how a glass can shape our experience of wine and informing the varietal-specific approach of the brand today. For Mark, that willingness to evolve is part of the family tradition. “I don’t think you protect a legacy by putting it under glass. You protect it by keeping it alive,” he says. "Our job is to keep that curiosity going while continuing to help drinkers enjoy what's in their glass in the best possible way."

Mark Baulderstone, Managing Director of RSN Australia.

That spirit carries into the new boutique at 1 West Street, North Sydney, which opened in September. One of just three RIEDEL flagships worldwide, it brings together the full Australian catalogue of RIEDEL and sister brands SPIEGELAU and NACHTMANN, giving visitors the chance to explore nearly 100 handmade pieces, almost 150 machine-made glasses and more than 60 decanters.

Why Australia? As Mark says, “Australia has a real love of food, wine and bringing people together. We’ve also built a wonderful community of customers and trade partners here over many years – Australia is the strongest market per capita for RIEDEL globally.”

At the new North Sydney address, visitors can handle their products with expert guidance, including their full range of Grape Varietal Specific Glassware, for which the brand has become known. For anyone wondering whether their trusty all-purpose glass is really doing the best job, Mark suggests trying pinot noir. “Someone will taste the wine in one glass, then try the same wine in a shape designed for the variety. They pause, have another sip, and look at you as if it’s a magic trick. In the right glass, the aromas will present themselves better, and the wine will feel different on the palate.”

Upstairs, The Crystal Room in an event space for wine tastings, masterclasses and private dinners and business events. Guests gather beneath a chandelier of 212 crystal glasses inspired by the RIEDEL Amadeo decanter. Its versatile design gives businesses a blank canvas to make the space their own.

RIEDEL's new boutique, which opened in September, is located at 1 West Street, North Sydney.

The anniversary also brings updated pricing for handmade collections, sold exclusively in Australia through the boutique and riedel.com. “These are beautiful pieces, but I don’t want people to feel they have to admire them from across the room,” says Mark. “I’d love more wine lovers to feel they can bring one home, use it, and enjoy what it adds to the experience.”

For those who want to experience the power of the perfect glass in person, CEO Maximilian Riedel will host consumer and trade Wine Glass Experiences in Sydney and Brisbane in early January 2027. “It’s interactive and fun, with a great lineup of wines – plus every guest takes home a set of glasses, so it ticks all the boxes!” says Mark.

CEO Maximilan Riedel will be coming to Brisbane and Sydney in January 2027 to host Wine Glass Experiences.

After 270 years, RIEDEL is still finding new ways to get people thinking about what’s in their glass – and the glass itself. So whether you’re choosing your first set of stems or adding to a well-stocked collection, there's plenty of ways to explore that legacy.

Find out more about the boutique, collections and upcoming experiences with Maximilian Riedel at riedel.com.