First decent wine glass

Hello all!

I’m looking to invest in a pair of decent universal wine glasses.

Am currently undecided between the new Jancis Robinson/Richard Brendon universal glass and the Zalto Denk Art Universal…

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!
Many thanks :slight_smile:

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I love the Zalto Universal.

I’ve recently purchased the Glasvin Universal too. I like it quite a bit but have to get used to it after using the Zalto for so long. As a side note, the Glasvin is significantly cheaper.

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Thanks! Just checked out the Glasvin universal glasses! They look great but i’m in the UK, when shipping is taken in to account they work out about the same price as the Zalto and JR glass… Supposing all three work out the same price, would your vote be for the Zalto?

Zalto would be my vote. I love Glasvin, but part of the appeal is the value. At the same price, I’d go Zalto Universal. I also really like Gabriel Glas Gold for a universal glass, although some (not me) find the bowl too small.

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I don’t know anything about the JR glass. But I do really love my Zaltos. So if the GV and Z are the same price, I’m all over the Zalto.

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This is a super helpful discussion, thanks everyone! How easy are they to break? I’m afraid every time I wash one of my Riedels.

Zaltos are quite easy to break, but so are all the other high end super thin blown glasses. If you are very careful, you can avoid it though. Here are some tips:

  1. VERY CAREFULLY handwash. These glasses are supposedly dishwasher safe, but I don’t trust it and have never tried it. If you do dishwasher, then follow other tips on this board about using an empty washer, placement on lower rack, spacing them out, making sure they can’t fall over, etc.
  2. VERY CAREFULLY handwash - I reiterate. The most important thing when handwashing is not to torque the stem/bottom one direction and the bowl the other. You will 100% break it if you do that. Aldo Sohm has a video on polishing Zaltos (which applies to other glasses also) where he shows you how to handle the glass without putting stress on it (it’s quite simple actually). When I wash my glasses, I pretend I am polishing it with a wet sponge. Then I dry/polish using the same handling care.
  3. VERY CAREFULLY handwash. OK you see the theme right? Make sure you only handwash sober. If I have people over or if I get to drink #3, I just leave the glass on the counter and deal with it in the morning.
  4. Don’t let people use it who you don’t trust to be careful with nice things.

However, I would actually recommend getting 2 kinds of glasses. You don’t really need more than that, but I do think there’s a lot of value in having a second model. I have Zaltos and I always go for the Universal for whites/sparkling and I go for the Bordeaux for most red wines. There are many this board that love the Zalto Bordeaux for Pinot/Burgundy, and it of course works well for Bordeaux varietals also.

You may also want to look into Grassl glassware. I haven’t used them, but many on the board swear by them. I plan on trying them out soon.

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Follow-up – if you really do want to have just one kind of glass and you prefer to have some durability, the Gabriel Glass StandArt is quite nice. It’s the same shape as the GGG, but is not mouthblown and therefore is thicker/more durable. You won’t get the same experience as with a higher end glass, but you also don’t need to freak out everytime you have to wash your glasses.

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Dishwasher is the best way to wash these glasses. Bottom rack by themselves.

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Hi Jasper,

I have no experience with other brands than Zalto but I’d definitely go for it if you’re in the same price range for other brands with shipping.
The ones I enjoy the most are the Universal for white/rosé/sparkling wines and the Bordeaux for reds.
Just be careful 'cause they’re super easy to break!!

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Wait until Berzerker day and get Grassl glasses Grassl Glassware - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers

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Here’s my strong rec: THE TRINITY | The Perfect Glass

It’s 3 glasses, one for red, white and champagne. They’re fantastic, better than the Zalto`s IMHO.

This. There is a thing as too thin and some glasses feel like they could break in the wind. The Gabriel StandArt is a great balance with a lovely shape and feel. They replaced a set of Schott Zweisels which were really good and lasted 6 years until a spate of breaks. The Zweisels are fine glasses also but mine were a bit too tall.

I think you are probably right. But I’m still very hesitant to do it…

Maybe I’ll try it with a single glass soon and see how it goes

I’ve washed zaltos, grassl, etc dozens of times in the dishwasher; Miele bottom rack in China/crystal mode.

Do you do anything special to keep them from moving around / bumping into each other?

Just separated them far enough so they couldn’t hit against anything.

Hello everyone! Very new to (better) wine and I found this place while researching wine glasses. I’ve seen so many suggestions on this site that my mind is definitely boggled. Just ordered some GG “StandArt” Edition glasses that are arriving soon. I plan to order a couple other ones on BD12, great timing I’d say! :slight_smile: I went with the universal glass but is that truly the way to go, I don’t “plan” on getting into super expensive wines so not sure I need different glasses for different wines. I’d love to hear some thoughts on this. Thanks!

I’ll also recommend Grassl (if you get one, get a Liberte, best for white wines but I have used as a tasting glass for reds. I have a full set and use the Cru the most, though).

That said, Zalto and GG get a lot of positive reviews around here as well.

Thanks for the advice, appreciate it!