Riedel
Good. Shows the people who make its products are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Family-owned Austrian glassmaker known for wine glasses.
Riedel makes about 67% of its wine glasses and decanters in its own factories in Germany and 33% in Austria, where labour laws are strong and legal wages are about a living wage.
Also worth knowing
It shows where its materials and parts come from.
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Why it's graded Good
- Met: Meets all 7 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
- Met: Earns 3 stars for going above and beyond.
| Star | Awarded for | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Open supply chain | Earned | |
| Pays above a living wage | Not earned | |
| Gives workers a real voice | Not earned | |
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities | Not earned |
3 stars for the first way it goes above and beyond, and one more for each further way, up to 6. About stars
Good requirements 7 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in Germany and Austria are about a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standardsPresumed from where it's made, not audited
- Met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneEarlier stages shown
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 0
None found.
Where it's made
Germany has the largest share, 67%. Austria is next, at 33%.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 67% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Austria | 33% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Shows where its earlier production stages happen (materials and components), and they're in low-risk countries or independently audited
Research notes Riedel makes its glasses in its own factories: machine-made glasses at the group's Nachtmann plants in Weiden and Amberg, Bavaria, Germany (headquartered in Neustadt an der Waldnaab), and handmade lines such as Sommeliers in Kufstein, Austria; no split is published, so shares here count its factories (two in Germany, one in Austria). It says its quartz sand comes locally from Hirschau, Bavaria, and its factories hold ISO 14001 and ISO 50001. Riedel publishes no social audits, wage data or modern slavery statement, though both countries have strong labour laws.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Not listed | Glassware from Germany or Austria is not on the US Department of Labor list of goods made with child or forced labour. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Riedel to invest 40 million in German sites (Glass International, 2016) · search the archive · Riedel factories at Weiden (machine-made) and Amberg (Spiegelau) in Bavaria; about 1,200 staff.
- Riedel: tasting the difference with the right wine glass (Pictet, 2023) · search the archive · Austrian family-owned group of about 1,200 staff; machine-made glasses made in Bavaria, handmade glasses and prototypes in Kufstein (2023).
- Bayern Innovativ - Nachtmann GmbH · search the archive · Nachtmann GmbH, based in Neustadt an der Waldnaab, makes crystal glass for Riedel, Spiegelau and Nachtmann at plants in Weiden and Amberg.
Published by Riedel or its owner
- RIEDEL Wine Glass Experience, David Jones Rundle Mall (Riedel Australia, 2024) · search the archive · Riedel glasses sold in David Jones department stores in Australia.
- Riedel - Crafted by hand, perfected by heritage · search the archive · Handmade and finished-by-hand glasses are made at Riedel's Kufstein glassworks 'from the first breath of molten crystal to the final finishing touch'.
- Riedel: Responsibility and sustainability · search the archive · Quartz sand sourced locally from Hirschau; factories certified ISO 14001 and ISO 50001; no labour or audit disclosures.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Austria
- Employees
- About 1,200
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Riedel ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/riedel, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Good means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Riedel.