zalto

Sexy Stems

by whitney on January 21, 2013

I was given a nice Christmas present that I had yet to test out and thought that a weeknight solo pajama party would be a good time to do it. The present- the Zalto Denk’art Universal Glass, Aldo Sohm edition. The party- putting wine it and drinking it all by myself.

I almost forgot that the wine itself was also a gift! I’ve been on a bit of a Northern Rhone Syrah kick this winter, so I was happy to dig in to this Domaine des Entrefaux Crozes-Hermitage “Les Champs Fourné.” It hit the spot. After the first sip, I realized I needed to eat a hot dog. It just made sense and was really good with the wine. I’m classy like that.

So, the glass. It was a collaborative design between my fav wine glass company, Zalto, and sommelier Aldo Sohm. Aldo is basically a celebrity in the wine world. He is Chef Sommelier at Le Bernardin in New York and was named Best Sommelier in the World in 2008. So, yeah, he knows a thing or two about what a wine glass should be like.

I’ve mentioned my love for Zalto before and how sexy those thin stems are. I mean, am I right or am I right? Just you put one of these in your hand and see if you don’t get turned on. The verdict? I love the glass, naturally. The shape is great for white or red and is just plain beautiful.

PS- that thing the glass is on in the first two pictures? A hand-dyed leather cocktail napkin. Boom! I’ve been holding back a secret for a little while which is that I am launching an online shop called Bottle Stock! We are still a few months away, but consider this a glimpse of things to come. We’ll be selling all kinds of good looking wine and drinks accessories, tools, and gift items. It’s gonna be rad and I can’t wait for the reveal! Stay tuned.

To Stem or Not to Stem

by whitney on October 17, 2012

That is the question. The question I ask myself every time I pour a glass of wine at home. I have simple tumblers, rocks glasses, a variety of Riedel (stemless or not), cute Moroccan sippers and a couple random big swirl-that-red-around kind of glasses. How do I choose?

I think about the wine first. I pretty much take color or bubbles out of the equation. I don’t care. I care more about whether I would classify it as “serious” or “fun.” Then I think about context. Am I alone or with friends? What kind of friends? Drinking with a specific meal or without any food?

THEN I think about how I want to feel when I drink it. This is most important to me. It’s a concept that first entered the realm of my thinking as it pertains to wine and the drinking of it when I worked at CUT about 5 years ago. Wine Director Dana Farner mentioned it to me casually one evening during service and that idea has guided my choices ever since.

When I want to feel fancy, elegant, refined, serious, perhaps even sexy- ya heard? I think Zalto is the way to go. Or would be the way to go if I actually owned any of their stemware. They are a little pricey, but not crazy. This is the thing about Zalto- the actual stems are skinny and delicate. Which kind of turns me on. Let’s get honest people! Just hold one in your hand and you’ll know what I’m talking about. I also LOVE the tulip shape of the actual glass. It gives good swirl.

Christmas present to myself? Great idea.

Photos taken at Leitz, Rheingau, Germany.