Zalto Glassware
By David Keck
Ok, so it’s not a WINE this week, we’re going to talk about glassware. Not super sexy? Well, that may be because you’ve not used a Zalto glass.
Seriously. These glasses are next level sh*t.
When the Shepherd picked up the Winemonger wine portfolio, we also acquired what many would consider the most beautiful, well-made, and exquisite glassware in the world: Zalto hand-blown glass from Austria. There simply isn’t another glass that feels like Zalto, and out of which we would rather consume delicious beverages.
Those who have worked in (or even more relevant, opened) restaurants know that choosing stemware is one of the hardest things to do. There are the Schott Zwiesel (personal favorite), Riedel (all 200 lines of them), Stolzle, Luigi Bormioli, and the list goes on. And the factors that go into choosing the best glass are plentiful: In which glass will our 6oz pour look the most generous? Which glass will the bartenders overpour consistently? Do we need a line on the glass to mark the pour (and which glasses can be made this way)? How do we want the guests to feel when they pick the glass up? HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? In all caps for emphasis, because you’d better believe that there isn’t a restaurateur in the world who doesn’t cringe and see dollar signs every time a server drops a tray of stems.
Needless to say, the team at Wine Shepherd has gone through a lot of glassware, felt it, evaluated it, pondered it, and weighed options in the past. The Zalto Denk’Art series is not about the expense, it’s not about the way it looks with a glass pour, it is simply about being the best possible way to enjoy your beverage. The glassware feels special, weightless, and as if it was made for the best liquids available (from wine, to water, to beer). Yet somehow it doesn’t feel out of place with a mid-week glass of wine, it simply elevates the experience. If this is starting to sound a little too hyperbolic for glassware, we encourage you to reach out and have your sales rep bring a sample by to check it out.
When it comes to craftsmanship, it is also goes without saying that the glasses are made with the utmost care. The angles are all measured to correspond with the tilt angles of the Earth (24, 48 and 72 degrees), angles utilized by the Ancient Romans in their produce repositories to increase flavor and shelf-life. They are hand-blown by craftspeople in a region that has over 600 years of glass blowing history.
We’re effusive about these glasses, but they truly are exciting and we’re very proud to be representing them in VT.