"I didn't think that there would be anything better on the glass market, this glass is." 
Francois Mauss, president of the Grand Jury European.

The Zalto Denk'Art Glasses were named for Father Hans Denk, the Austrian wine priest who has spent decades in the study and tasting of wines, and who is one of the most valued wine experts in Austria.  Father Denk guided the glassmakers in the design of each bowl to elicite the best qualities for the type or style of wine it is meant for.

The extraordinary design of Zalto glassware is then matched with perfectly executed balance and craftsmanship, and places Zalto glassware at that rare point where form meets function in complete harmony.

The complete line of Zalto glassware includes the Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, White Wine, Universal, Sweet Wine and Water glasses.  
All of the Zalto glasses are lead free.

The line is produced by the Zalto Glasshutte in the town of Neunagelberg in Lower Austria, where the art of glass blowing goes back to the early 14th century. 

The roots of the Zalto family, six generations now in this region, reach back to the famous glass artisans of Venice. 

Their pursuit of perfection has continually raised the bar in the level of Austrian crystal work: a quality that has been recognized the world over for decades if not hundreds of years.

At first glance, a Zalto glass seems nearly too delicate to hold, and yet it is actually quite durable due to advanced techniques and design.  The glass is one piece from bowl to stem, with the base then attached.  This differs from other glasses where the bowl is attached to the top of the stem, creating a weakness at that point.  This, in conjunction with another element of the design, means that if the glass tips over it lands on it's strongest point- the curve of the bowl- and rarely breaks.

Every aspect in the design of the Zalto line has been made in the pursuit of creating the finest wine glass available.  The curve of the bowl of each glass in the Zalto Denk'Art line are tilted at 24, 48 and 72 degrees, which correspond to the tilt angles of the Earth.  As the ancient Romans knew, this triumvirate of angles, when used in vessels for food and drink, not only kept its contents fresher, but also improved the taste.

Further, the width of the bowl at the point of the curve is such that it allows for the greatest amount of surface space desired for the type of wine it is intended.  A good swirl can be given at that point, and the shape then funnels the bouquet to the nose. 

That the glass is lighter, thinner and more elegant in appearance is more than just an aesthetic ideal.  It is that the lip of the glass is so thin that the wine is delivered better to the palate.  The glass itself doesn't stand in the way of the taste of the wine.  If you can imagine trying to sip a fine wine from a hefty beer mug, you can understand why this is so.

Dishwasher safe.  In fact, dishwasher safer.  Hand washing the glasses can actually be more risky as pressure from within the glass has a greater chance of causing breakage.

The glasses are resistant to clouding and scratching and in tests have remained crystal clear for over a hundred passes through the dishwasher.

In this way, you can feel free to use your Zalto glassware as your "everyday" glass as well as the glass for your best occasions.

Winemonger was the first importer of Zalto in the USA. They were the exclusive source for Zalto Glassware until they allowed another partner in the USA to handle New York State simultaneously. Winemonger has exclusive rights outside of New York State for the rest of the USA in order to offer the glassware through their distribution partners. Sour Grapes has worked closely with Winemonger since 2015 and was the first distribution partner offering Zalto in the southeastern USA. Today, we see the glassware being sold from other companies that are new to the wine scene and have secured the Zalto line from disreputable sources. Sour Grapes will continue to help ensure Winemonger and Zalto have the most legit representation in all of our markets.