Every host who has poured the same wine into two different glasses knows the moment: it smells different, it tastes different, and nobody at the table quite believes it. RIEDEL has built its name on that moment, and in its anniversary year the family company takes it on tour. In November 2026 Maximilian Riedel hosts two wine glass experiences in England, both designed to show how the size and shape of a glass influence the way we perceive a wine’s aroma, flavour and mouthfeel.
270 years in glass
The occasion is a round number. RIEDEL celebrates 270 years of glassmaking in 2026, and the Riedel family has shaped the company since 1756. Its most influential idea, championed by Georg J. Riedel, turned the wine glass from a simple vessel into an instrument. Bowl size, rim diameter and overall form decide how the aromas reach the nose and how the wine flows across the palate, and with them the impression of fruit, acidity, tannin, alcohol and texture. The same principle has since taken the brand beyond wine, into glasses for other drinks such as sake and tequila.
Two evenings, two cities
London comes first. The Wine Glass Experience takes place on Monday 9 November at the historic Royal Horticultural Halls; doors open at 6pm and the tasting starts at 7pm. Two days later, on Wednesday 11 November, the tour moves north to the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel & Spa, with doors at 5.30pm and a 6.30pm start.
Both evenings run on RIEDEL Superleggero tasting sets, and every participant takes the set, worth £125, home at the end. A small number of VIP tickets is available for London only, with RIEDEL Black Tie tasting sets and premium seating. The events are for guests over 18, and tickets cannot be refunded or transferred once bought.
Heart of Glass
The anniversary also has a book. Heart of Glass, a coffee table book of 224 pages in hardcover, follows the family from its rise in Bohemia through the loss of its possessions after the Second World War to a new beginning in Austria. It traces how the idea that the shape of a glass changes the perception of a wine became a benchmark for a whole industry. Ticket holders receive it with their seat. Alongside the book, RIEDEL has released Special Sets in anniversary packaging, available while supplies last.
Why it matters at a private table
A tasting like this is the quickest way to settle a question every host faces sooner or later: how many glasses does a dinner really need, and which ones? Our guide to glassware answers it format by format, and the drinks calculator works out bottles and glass hire for your guest count. In our season calendar November belongs to the city tables, which makes the London evening a useful date for anyone who hosts in London this winter.
