By V. Sivaji
In another one-on-one interview session by Penang Hyperlocal, we managed to find time to sit down with Jean-Baptiste Cherriere who is the vice president of sales Asia – Riedel. He was in Penang recently on a business trip while on his stay at the iconic E&O Hotel.
The suave Parisian, Jean-Baptiste Cherriere has been living and working in the Southeast Asian region for the past 15 years
Q) What is your scope of work?
A) My role is to support the commercial expansion of Riedel in the region, through close collaboration with our distribution partners in each market. And the promotion of the Riedel experience through tasting events. I cover a large part of Asia, with the main exceptions of Japan and Mainland China where we have local subsidiaries.
Q) Which part of France do you hail from ?
A) I am originally from the Paris area, though I spent most of my teenagehood in the Loire Valley (Tours) where my family moved to. A beautiful region surrounded by castles and vineyards.
Q) Which countries have you travelled post pandemic?
A) So far I have been to South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Germany, Austria, France, Italy and Greece.
Q) What are the new products from Riedel
A) 2022 marks the launch of the new Riedel Veloce collection, the finest, lightest machine-made grape varietal specific crystal glass ever. The line is being launched in Asia this summer, and will set a new benchmark in the category of machine made crystal stemware. For more information: https://www.riedel.com/en/products/machine-made/riedel-veloce
Q) What is outstanding about the Riedel brand?
A) Riedel has a history of 266 years and remains family owned. It has revolutionized the way we drink and appreciate wine, by customizing the shape of the glasses to a particular grape varietal. Each glass is fine tuned to direct the flow of the wine onto parts of the palate that will best express the texture, the taste and the flavors of that specific varietal. Our glasses are developed through workshops with wine makers, which is a unique approach.
Q) Who are your main clients?
A) Riedel glasses and decanters are enjoyed both by end consumers through our retail network, and hotels/restaurants which value the contribution that Riedel can bring to the dining and wine experience.
Q) Do you have any hobbies or pastimes?
A) Besides enjoying good wine with family and friends, I like to keep an active life through the practice of tennis and yoga. I am also an aviation enthusiast which brought me to my first solo flight a few years ago.
Q) What is your favourite holiday destination?
A) I am curious by nature, thus I tend to diversify the destinations I travel to especially in Asia. Being located in Singapore for 4 years now, I now have more opportunities to travel to Malaysia where I always enjoy the combination of mixed culture, beautiful nature and sceneries and the amazing local food. My next holiday destination will be South East Malaysia for a short break.
Riedel – The Wine Glass Company is a family-owned glassware business based in Austria.