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Zalto Glas

Precision Instrument: Astonishing Stemware from one of Austria’s Finest, Small Glass-blowing Houses

Quite simply, the finer the glass, the more pleasurable it is to drink from. Zalto produces the finest stemware we know of—glasses that seem to almost disappear in the hand and bring you closer to the wine.

These remarkably beautiful glasses are made from lead-free crystal, resulting in surreal lightness and surprising durability. They rarely cloud despite repeated dishwasher usage and are very flexible (the secret to their surprising strength). These are not simply objects d’art, to be admired from a distance, but are also very functional glasses that can be used every day. 

From the moment you pick one of these glasses up; the beauty, the finesse and the balance in the hand speak to the quality of the craftsmanship and the lead-free crystal from which they are made. They are wonderful glasses to taste wine from; they were designed specifically for this purpose by Austrian wine expert, Hans Denk, who began with a vision to produce the ultimate wine tasting glasses. Denk is one of Austria’s most revered wine tasters.

“Its stem was bouncy, balanced and fine as a violin bow, light as a hummingbird’s bones. Its rim was as honed as my favorite knife. This wasn’t merely a wine glass but a precision instrument that bordered on the spiritual...” Alice Feiring

When designing the glasses, Denk came upon the idea of utilising the same angles of the tilt of the earth’s axis, which resulted in a range of glasses that were not only strikingly original to look at but also allowed for a very wide bowl width—which in turn enabled optimum surface area. The angular shape of the glasses also means that if a Zalto glass is knocked over, it tends to land on the strongest part of the glass first. Interestingly, these angles were used by the Romans to design food storage vessels as they enabled produce to stay fresher for longer. We cannot verify whether the Romans got this right, although let’s agree that they tended to get more things of this nature right than wrong. However, we can say that the glasses that were inspired by this claim are truly brilliant in both form and function!

Although they are indeed finer than any other glass on the market, they are nonetheless robust, elastic and far more resilient than you would expect. The stems are thin and fragile, but the bowls are very strong. Having used them ourselves for years both at home and for countless events, we can stand by their durability provided they are handled appropriately. We recommend these beautiful glasses, carafes and decanters to you without reservation. 

Key points about Zalto glasses:

•    They are lead oxide free which results in a lighter and more flexible glass that does not leach lead and will not typically cloud in the dishwasher.

•    Despite their remarkable lightness and ultra-fine edges, they are surprisingly resilient. They can be washed in a dishwasher and are made for daily use.

•    If you feel compelled to polish your glasses, we strongly suggest using the two-cloth method as the stem is the weakest point of the glass. 

The Range

Zalto Carafe No75

Zalto Carafe No75

Height: 248mm and Volume: 820ml. These elegant mouth-blown decanters come in three sizes. Easy to use, pour, store, clean and drain (by inverting onto a tea towel). Well suited for storage in the refrigerator if used for white wine or to cool decanted red wine that has become too warm. Also, they look great on the table and can be used for water and wine.

Zalto Carafe No75
Zalto Universal Glass 2 Pack

Zalto Universal Glass 2 Pack

This glass is ideal for full-bodied, powerful and/or developed wines, with its shape allowing the wine’s depth and intensity to shine through while still accentuating its underlying complexity and finesse. It can work for pretty much all Italian wines (although older Nebbiolo is often better in the ‘Burgundy’ glass), as well as all mature whites and reds from anywhere else. Mature Chablis, Riesling, Chianti, Beaujolais and pretty much any Australian wine, young or old, are good candidates. Also terrific for great grower Champagne. In short, as the name suggests, a brilliant all-rounder.

Zalto Universal Glass 2 Pack
Zalto Burgundy Glass 2 Pack

Zalto Burgundy Glass 2 Pack

The wide bowl in this glass provides maximum surface area, allowing the different components of the wine to open up and ‘show’ with great precision. Particularly good for wines that are both tightly wound and old and complex (you miss nothing!). If it is young and open, it’s better off in one of the smaller shapes above. Obviously great with Burgundy, but what you use it for is only limited by your imagination!

Zalto Burgundy Glass 2 Pack
Zalto Burgundy Glass 6 Pack

Zalto Burgundy Glass 6 Pack

The wide bowl in this glass provides maximum surface area, allowing the different components of the wine to open up and ‘show’ with great precision. Particularly good for wines that are both tightly wound and old and complex (you miss nothing!). If it is young and open, it’s better off in one of the smaller Zalto glass shapes. Obviously great with Burgundy, but what you use it for is only limited by your imagination!

Zalto Burgundy Glass 6 Pack
Zalto Decanter Axium

Zalto Decanter Axium

While some glassware manufacturers seem intent on steering decanter design into the realm of flamboyant objets d'art, Zalto crafts only two simple yet beautiful, function-over-form designs. They both look and handle with style and, more importantly, they are practical and just work. They are also both brilliant value. The Axium is the smaller of the two and is designed for medium-bodied red wines and medium to full-bodied white wines.

Zalto Decanter Axium
Zalto Decanter Mystique

Zalto Decanter Mystique

The Mystique is designed for all full-bodied red wines, particularly young, powerful red wines that require a larger surface/air ratio for the enhanced exposure of the wine’s individual characteristics and finer nuances. Also ideal for decanting magnums.

Zalto Decanter Mystique
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“Buy a set of Zalto wine glasses. A good glass does not just dramatically alter the perception of a wine’s taste and smell, sometimes improving it two or three or more fold, it is also an object of beauty in itself. Zalto are the glasses with which wine pros are currently obsessed.” Victoria Moore, The Telegraph

Country

Austria

Availability

National

Most Recent Offer

  • Zalto
    Zalto
    Our shipment of Zalto glassware is docking any day now, and there’s a new glass in town...
    Our shipment of Zalto glassware is docking any day now, and there’s a new glass in town! Alongside restocks of all the key stems, we can now offer ...

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