Riedel Crystal, the 300 year-old global leader in varietal-specific glassware, has announced the latest design in its growing line of stunning mouth‐blown decanters.
The Bacchus pays homage to the Roman mythological god of wine, and brings classic art to the table in the form of a high-functioning wine tool.
Designed by 11th-generation Riedel Crystal President & CEO, Maximilian J Riedel, the striking decanter is made of fine crystal and shaped like an animal’s horn, a nod to the god’s association with the bull, and his traditional representation: enjoying the hedonistic pleasure of wine from a horn-shaped vessel. The decanter’s release is also timed to honour the Chinese Year of the Goat, which began in February 2015.
Formed freely by hand without the help of any moulds by Riedel master glass blowers, the Bacchus decanter is extremely demanding to create, with a wide mouth for both receiving and pouring wine, gradually tapering in a spiral to a curled, closed tip. True to Riedel’s guiding philosophy of form follows function, the Bacchus’ expansive horizontal design, which measures over 19 inches long, creates a wide bowl at the base of the decanter that maximizes the surface-to-air space allowing wine to fully open up and aerate in the vessel, while also creating an elegant, fluent silhouette, making it a functional objet d’art worthy of a tabletop centrepiece.
“With the Riedel Bacchus decanter I strove to create a functional and powerful wine tool that tells a story of the mischievous and cheerful Roman God, translated into a sophisticated and unique decanter,” said Mr Riedel. “This new high-functioning wine tool will make a statement on the table, and, I hope, will spark conversation about and appreciation for the fascinating history of wine in different cultures.”