Zalto Wine Glasses

WINE TALK
1

I have been using Riedel Vinum for years. I love them but want to change up a liitle. I saw the Zalto and would like to try. Some questions:

  1. Are these wine glasses worth it over the vinum (the riedel sommeliers I got are just too big)? Are they as good as they cost 60$ a pop?
  2. If so which one(s) do you use? the bordeaux? the universal? or just skip the Zalto?
  3. Where do you buy these (google only showed a couple place in the USA)?

Thanks,
Loi

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2

Expensive
Wonderful.

I like the Bordeaux and the Burgundy. Many like the Universal. The Champagnes are fabulous.

Best place is Wine Monger

BTW, they do break and that is VERY expensive.

3

First I’d ask a question. If you love the Vinum, why do you want a change? For the look? Or because you sense some weakness in how the wines show in the glass?

My favorite Zalto is the Universal, for certain white wines, but before investing quite a bit of $ in new stemware, make sure you have done a few side by side comparisons with your vinum and the new glass. Don’t just try to the glasses, the “newness” might add to the experience, but a side by side comparison should give you some clarity and help your decision.

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4

I have the Bordeaux and Burgundy Zalto glasses and I love them. I think they are worth the price. And perfectly dishwasher safe. In fact, it’s recommended that they go in the dishwasher and not be hand washed.

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5

My experience with the Burgundy wine glasses - used for barolo - was negative. Pretty much every single time I used them, the wines showed muted, less aromatic, compared to the same wines even from a regular Crate and Barrel glass. I now use for barolo the Bottega del Vino supervenetian glass. I like it.

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6

1.) Yes and Yes. Furthermore, if I were a winery owner I would pour my wines into nothing other than a Zalto simply because they ideally represent the wine being presented, hands’ down.
2.) Don’t forget the Burgundy stem, that’s the one that I often use.
3.) Good news is that they’re becoming more and more available in the US.
Four.) Dishwasher safe, and in fact it’s recommended. Despite being paper thin, and lightweight, they’re much more resilient than Riedel’s (apples-to-apples) Somm line.

Report back when you’ve given them a whirl.

Best,

Kenney

7

I enjoy the Zalto ‘white wine’ glass for Champagne, port, and yes, white wine.

8

Yes, they DO break.

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9

Very good. Love them and worth the price IMHO.
I bought 2 each of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, and decided to expand to 6 + Universal, because it is hard to switch to another glasses after.

10

So do “break-resistant” stems [cheers.gif]

Best,

Kenney

11

Love my Zalto Champagne glasses. Really wanna get some Burgundy and Universal stems.

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12

Don’t buy before a side by side with Vinum. At least on Burgundy, our group has not been convinced the Zalto is the equal.

13

Just returned from a Mosel-trip. All the Top german winemakers use ZALTO-Universal, like Markus Molitor&Heymann-Löwenstein&Stefan Steinmetz etc. In addition the estates Keller, Wittmann, SchÀfer-Fröhlich, von Winning use them.

14

Ordered a Universal to see what all the fuss is about. Did a side by side comparison last night with a Spiegelau Authentis Burgundy. Opened an '09 Windy Oaks Estate Cuvee and Whoa Nellie!! The Authentis presented a muted nose and a bitter finish while the Zalto presented a much brighter nose and the palate difference was amazing
no bitterness at all on the finish and provided a much more balanced palate. The difference was impressive as a rather uninspired experience was transformed into a very enjoyable and well balanced pinot experience. More comparisons to come, but at this early stage I am more than convinced. I was also blown away by the airy feel of the glass and the wonderfully thin rim which definitely contributed to the enhanced experience. I knew glassware made a difference, just never realized how much of a difference a truly great designed glass can make.

Do folks use the Universal for both red and white wine? Wondering if I can get away with just using a Universal for all of my wine drinking needs. I’ll obviously find out on my own, but curious to know what others think.

15

Champagnes are absolutely fabulous. I have done several side-by-sides with Riedel Vinum, Sommelier, Baccarat St Remy - there is simply no contest!

16

I have done similar comparisons with similar results and you’re right, the feel in the hand is just something else. Plus I have not found them any less fragile than other stems, maybe even stronger.

I use the universal for almost all whites and lots of reds but as mentioned earlier, I do love the Bordeaux. Chard is the best glass for Champagne.

17

I bought 6 Zalto BDX glasses six months ago and do not believe they are worth the triple price of Vinum glasses.

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18

Aside from the price, what did you think of them? Do you think they were worse than the Vinum, a little better, or about the same?

19

Fwiw, Jeremy Seysses (Dujac) had the following to say about the Universal vs Burgundy glass:

I’ve been curious about them, but they aren’t high enough on my priority list yet.

20

I’m a big fan of the Zalto Universal and the Zalto Bordeaux. I don’t like the Zalto Burgundy glass, for one because I find it too big and also as I find swirling the wine is difficult because the glass somehow feels unbalanced in my hand (can’t explain it in a better way).

I use the Universal for all white wines, sparklers and also many red wines. For some red wines such as Bordeaux, Midi, Priorat, Madiran, etc. I very much prefer the Zalto Bordeaux glass though.

Handwashing them is really risky, but since I put them in the dishwasher, I had no more broken glasses.

For tastings, my absolute number one universal glass is the machine-made (not the mouth-blown) Gabriel glass though. In the US, it seems to be available at $120 for six, which is a good price (the price is EUR 12 per Glass in Germany). To me, the wines come out almost as precisely as in the Zalto Universal and the glasses are way cheaper and you don’t have to handle them as carefully.

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