Zalto Balance Wine Glasses / Set of 2

A set of 2 mouth-blown wine glasses from Zalto, makers of fine glassware trusted by top winemakers, restaurateurs and wine connoisseurs.

—DETAILS—

Appreciated by winemakers and wine enthusiasts alike, Zalto enjoys cult status in the world of wine. The Denk’Art range has revolutionised the wine glass and set new standards. The collection pays tribute to the influential Austrian wine expert Hans Denk, who spent decades studying wine and mentored Zalto in its early days. Handcrafted perfection is Zalto’s core principle. The glassware is produced from carefully selected raw materials using complex traditional glassblowing methods in the Waldviertel region of Austria, where the art of glassblowing dates back to the early 14th century. The glasses are crafted with straight sidewalls that taper like a chimney, differing slightly for each type of wine and without seams and joins, so the wine is the focus, appealing to all five senses:

• Sight: Maximum transparency; the wine’s colour is allowed to shine
• Touch: A wafer-thin body without a rim; delicate but elastic – proof that all parts are mouth-blown
• Smell: The internal surface of a mouth-blown wine glass bowl is rough when viewed under a microscope. This rough surface creates a larger surface area and provides some drag to allow a fuller appreciation of the wine’s aromas. The completely smooth internal surface of machine-made glass does not affect the wine in the same way
• Taste: The design of the glass influences the extent to which the tastebuds – sweet, sour, salt, bitter, umami – are stimulated; for example, a wide bowl lets the wine flow backwards, a narrow goblet wets the tip of the tongue first
• Hearing: The delightful sound made when clinking first-class stemware

This new Balance wine glass integrates, balances and harmonises without distorting the true character traits, for example, terroir and fruit. It is ideal for wines where balance and structure derive from tannins, long lees ageing, such as Champagne and Cava, or the deliberate use of wood.

Recommended for: Wood-accentuated Chardonnay, mash-fermented white wines, whole-grape-fermented red wines, wines with a maceration component, as well as complex sparkling wines with long lees ageing and oxidative elements

—BENEFITS—

‘Lightweight and elegant, they are a pleasure to drink from. Somehow the wine tastes even better.’