Speaking with George Riedel is a somewhat surreal experience. Firstly, I was due to speak to him on the Sunday evening just after Christmas, but this had to be postponed a week because he was unwell. As the great man is giving up some of his precious time to talk to me, the least I can do is wait until he is better.

   The allotted time comes on my phone rings. It's his assistant asking if I'm ready for a phone conversation, and then with a few clicks Goerg is on the line from Austria, Can you imagine the shock when I find out that he's actually calling me from his home in Arizona.

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Winefullness: Hello George.

Georg Riedel: Good afternoon. This is Georg Riedel speaking. I'm ready.

Winefullness: Riedel glass is considered among the finest glassware in the world. Which of your products are you the proudest of?

Georg: I cannot agree that we are the finest glass in the world. We specialise in wine glasses, and in this category we have made some marks. It was the 9th generation of the family who considered making wine glasses. Not only as a drinking vessel, but also as a tool to elevate the emotions that are in wine. We must not forget Klaus Riedel and his pioneering work first.

   I have been looking very lucky that my time coincides with the new development in the wine consumption. It seems to have been perfect timing. If I had to talk about my contribution, it would be that I have been extremely lucky to have been born at this time and to be able to serve, for want of a better word, the wine world. There is not one single item I am proud about, with an achievement over time which I was able to guide and was able to accompany.

Winefullness: Will you always expected to go into the family business?

Georg: This is a very interesting question and I would answer no. I had no alternatives and at the end of the day I'm very happy that it ended like this.

   There is always a generational rivalry between father and son, on these kind of things make you wonder if this is the right thing to do. I can honestly say that I'm very glad that my father took me by the hand, gently squeezing it, and made me follow his advice.

Winefullness: Did you have a different career path in mind?

Georg Riedel: First of all I wanted to finish my degree and go to university like all my friends. For me this was a question of prestige, but my father pointed out that I wasn't such a brilliant student, which was true. He also suggested that it would be better if I went home and joined him...

Winefullness: And you're no longer the CEO, having passed on the baton to the next generation?

Georg: I'm so lucky because of my children. I have a daughter and a son who are extremely talented, and it's always good to notice when time is changing. I'm very very proud that they are the new faces of the company. They do things better than I could have done.

   At my age, there's nothing that I have any regrets about, and I'm very happy to say that they do a fantastic job. I applaud my son for what he does and how he does it.

Winefullness: Has there ever been a wine that you feel your glassware has not enhanced?

Georg: We're not responsible for miracles. Wine has to meet certain standards, but I cannot remember a wine where I felt that the wine was good and my glasses were not. Let's just put it that way.

Winefullness: What is your favourite wine at the moment?

Georg: My palate is not a one way street, but if I had to choose a wine it would be light red and most probably a Pinot Noir.

Winefullness: What is your favourite restaurant to visit, and what meals do you like to order?

Georg: Something not sophisticated. I like Italian food with basic ingredients and definitely not meals that go over 2 hours with several courses. To be honest, I'm not such a sophisticated eater and I don't spend that kind of time and money to indulge in food. I'd rather drink a fine bottle of wine.

Winefullness: What do you think the biggest myth about Riedel that you've heard?

Georg: We need sceptical people every day who say a glass does not make a difference. We then work very diligently to convince them to try the same wine in a different shape glass.

   When it comes to wine, we're not making your wine better, we're helping you to appreciate the wine through perception and elevation.

Winefullness: So your glassware is an amplifier for taste?

Georg Riedel: The glass firstly creates these wonderful aromas and the narrow top can hold the molecules within the bowl. Then you're dealing with physics as you lift the glass, because there is a very tight control of the flow of the liquid. This affects the experience that you tastebuds are undergoing and how the finish of the wine is perceived.

Winefullness: How long does it take for a glass design to go from the drawing board into production?

Georg: It's a very short, very brief period of time. The most important part is obviously the fine tuning of the shape, the size and the diameter of the glass. If you are lucky with a first attempt this can take 24 hours.

   Glass is a very patient material but you need a good wood mould and very talented people who know how to work the glass. The cooling process can take about 6 hours, and then within 24 hours you can make a new glass.

   What takes the time is the fine tuning of the glass. When you create a new shape it can be trial and error, and it is only when you taste the wine that you can allow some satisfaction. Then you let others try the wine from the glass and with each positive opinion you grow in confidence and know that you have made the right choice.

   You have great responsibility and people judge you. You build up your reputation and people expect that the new shapes will work.

Winefullness: Reading about you, you seem to be a family man. Is it difficult to find a good work life balance?

Georg: Gives a gentle laugh. There's always private time. I am now a grandfather and father, and I can only say that it is how you shout into the woods that governs the echo that comes back.

Winefullness: Whilst it is easy to understand the effects that Riedel Crystal Glassware might have on wine, can the same be said for the machine made product?

Georg Riedel: We produce most of our products, about 96%, in machines, and in glassware it is not a question of execution. It does not make a difference to the performance of the glass when it comes to wine if it is made in a machine or by hand. We've been able to master our machines so that the dimensions of our glassware are very close to handmade.

   It's between the machine made and handmade glass is the presence of the human being. I have the utmost respect for those glass makers who blow glass and produce such a product with history. The machine and the new technology is the way to go and the way to present fine glassware that prices that are affordable.