Riedel And Lindt Create The Perfect Wine And Chocolate Tasting Experience With Announcement Of Global Partnership

KUFSTEIN, Austria and STRATHAM, N.H., May 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Riedel Crystal, the 300 year old European brand credited with revolutionizing glassware for the enjoyment of wine, and Lindt & Sprungli, the world leader in premium chocolate, today announce a new strategic global partnership. As global market leaders and innovators in their unique crafts, Riedel and Lindt are creating the ultimate wine glass tasting and premium chocolate pairing experience for consumers. The comparative glassware and premium chocolate tastings show that the best wine and chocolate pairing, enhanced by enjoying the wine from the proper varietal-specific glass, offers a heightened sensory experience. The partnership will first be introduced to chocolate lovers and wine connoisseurs in the U.S., driven by Lindt USA and the brands' U.S. channels.  

As part of the partnership, the brands will test a variety of chocolate and wine glass pairings, which will be available on Lindt.com, at select Lindt Chocolate Shops nationwide, and through Lindt Chocolate RSVP, the company's premium direct selling program. Riedel will also be exclusively offering Lindt EXCELLENCE premium dark chocolate as part of its renowned comparative glassware tastings. The tasting experiences are designed to help educate consumers on the difference drinking wine from the right glass can make, and will include a chocolate and wine pairing demonstration. Georg J Riedel, the tenth-generation head of Riedel Crystal, developed these tastings in order to add another layer of enjoyment and complexity to the wine drinking experience and to demonstrate how the shape of the glass truly makes a difference in not only the taste of wine, but in the way chocolate tastes when consumed after drinking wine from the proper glass. The tastings are a perfect complement to the Lindt Five Senses Chocolate Tasting process, an ultimate sensory experience through which consumers can master the art of tasting fine chocolate.

"Riedel partners exclusively with brands whose values and quality mirror its own," said Mr. Riedel. "We take great pride in Riedel's 300-year history in luxury crystal glassmaking, and like our varietal-specific stemware, Lindt's rich history and superior confections only enhance the wine-drinking experience."  

"This partnership will lead to new product combinations that create incomparable tasting experiences," added Thomas Linemayr, CEO & president of Lindt USA. "Lindt is committed to providing high quality chocolates to consumers world-wide in innovative ways, including partnerships with premium brands like Riedel."

Riedel has performed varietal-specific tastings throughout the world for more than 45 years, educating more than 20,000 consumers annually. The addition of Lindt EXCELLENCE to Riedel's tastings brings more depth and discovery to the wine drinking experience – an enhanced sensory experience building on the tastings developed over the course of three generations of Riedel family leadership.

The Lindt EXCELLENCE collection is the world's most exceptionally-crafted premium chocolate, with cocoa percentage recipes ranging from 50 percent to 99 percent cocoa, as well as innovative flavor combinations, including the new EXCELLENCE Strawberry bar. Made with the finest cocoa beans and highest-quality ingredients, Lindt EXCELLENCE has a thin, refined profile to offer chocolate lovers an unmatched, sophisticated sensory experience.

For more information on Riedel, visit the newly relaunched website www.riedel.com. For news on upcoming Riedel comparative glassware tastings, visit the Wine Tastings page on the website, or follow RIEDEL The Wine Glass Company on Facebook. To learn more about Lindt and the EXCELLENCE collection, visit www.lindt.com or LindtEXCELLENCE.com. For other news from Lindt, "like" the company's Facebook page or follow Lindt on Twitter.

About Riedel
Riedel, the 300 year-old global leader in varietal-specific crystal glassware, is the first in history to recognize that the taste of wine is affected by the shape of the glass from which it is consumed, and has been recognized for its revolutionary designs which complement specific wines and spirits. Famous for its groundbreaking introduction of the world's first "wine friendly" glass, the Burgundy Grand Cru in 1958 and mouth-blown Sommeliers collection unveiled in 1973, Riedel has become the brand of choice for wine connoisseurs, hospitality professionals, and educated consumers worldwide. Lauded for transforming the wine culture over the past 50 years, Riedel's design-focused decanters, stemware lines, and stemless "O" collections have been selected for display at the Museum of Modern Art, Corning Museum of Glass, San Francisco MOMA and more. Riedel is distributed widely throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia, and can be found at the most exclusive fine dining establishments throughout the world. For more information, visit www.riedel.com.   

About Lindt & Sprungli
Founded in 1845, Lindt & Sprungli is a global leader in the premium chocolate category, offering high-quality products in more than 120 countries. Lindt & Sprüngli operates eight production facilities in Europe and the United States and employs more than 8,000 worldwide. Lindt USA operates more than 60 retail stores in the U.S., Lindt Chocolate RSVP, the company's premium direct selling program, and maintains wide distribution through extensive retail and wholesale channels. For more information on Lindt, visit www.lindt.com.

SOURCE Riedel; Lindt USA