“The JOSEPHINE is brutally honest.”

“The JOSEPHINE is brutally honest.”

"We are all looking for that special, unique sip," philosophises Nils Lackner, and that is where the glass plays an important role in the tasting.

“We are all looking for that special, unique sip” philosophises Nils Lackner as he slowly swirls his glass in his right hand, filled with the Riesling of a young German winemaker. Appearing almost meditative, the golden yellow wine turns counter-clockwise evenly. He has deliberately decided against decanting, as the wine thus opens up in smaller steps: “To taste every nuance of the developing wine is in itself a special experience”.

Aromas and taste development are an essential part of Lackner's everyday work. Together with his business partner, the sommelier made a dream come true by opening up a wine bar and wine shop called "Concept Riesling.

Discovering and developing new wine talents early on is part of the business model. To do this, Lackner must be able to rely on his sense of smell and taste. "A good glass helps to recognize even the finest notes. Due to the fact that we test the glasses in advance, we have to judge how the wine will taste in a year or two," says Lackner. "It can sometimes occur that we buy the entire vintage of a wine. We can't afford to make any mistakes."

"A good glass helps to recognize even the finest notes. Due to the fact that we test the glasses in advance, we have to judge how the wine will taste in a year or two."

With tousled hair and dressed in a leather jacket, T-shirt and sneakers, Lackner might not look as though he belongs into the classic world of wine. But appearances are deceptive, the wine expert living on Sylt is one of the most booked German wine lecturers. He is known for his progressive, contemporary way of dealing with the subject of wine. Again and again he sniffs at the glass before he even dares to take a sip. "The bouquet is important and says a lot about a wine. It's like on a first date, you want to get a good look before you go 'all in'. "The wine introduces itself to us through its bouquet by saying 'hello'. If a glass is able to aid in this process, that’s great.”

"The wine introduces itself to us through its bouquet, by saying 'hello'. If a glass is able to aid in this process, that’s great."

The first thing Lackner noticed in the Josephine glasses was the special sweep of the goblet. Somehow this unusual feature fascinated and intrigued him. The delicacy and elegance touched him. "The Josephine glass No 2 Universal goes especially well with the wines I love. Mineral Riesling, dry champagne and fine Chardonnays are presented purely and clearly. The cool nuances, the subtleties of the soil are directly reproduced. But nothing is spared. The Josephine is brutally honest. "If the wine is no good, she'll show you."

"The Josephine is brutally honest. If the wine is no good, she'll show you."

Finally, he takes a sip of his Riesling. "You see, a very clear portrayal of the stony coolness and light flavour of herbs. That's because of how the wine flows out of the glass - no aroma is lost." Lackner devotes his attention back to his wine, where he clearly wants to keep it.

In these dynamic times, it is essential for me as a glass designer not to stand still. I have made it my mission to build bridges between classic craftsmanship and trend-setting ideas. With the JOSEPHINE Decanter Brillant, we have shown that the true beauty of glassmaking lies in the combination of past and future.

Kurt Josef Zalto

"The German Design Award shows me that our efforts to combine traditional craftsmanship with modern design and functional aesthetics are appreciated internationally. However, the award is not only recognition of our work, but also a call to all glassmakers: we must constantly reinvent our craftsmanship to remain fit for the future. You can't do everything with a machine, and working only with machines would be extremely limiting for me as a designer. Innovation would consequently be lost if the craftsmanship of glassmaking was to disappear. In this respect, I am very grateful that our efforts are being recognized and awarded accordingly."

Innovative Design Development

The German Design Award, according to the company, "sets international standards for innovative design developments and competitiveness on the global market… It has set itself the goal of promoting the diverse transformation tasks of our time through design, because outstanding examples provide orientation for others."

This award encourages Kurt Josef Zalto to continue creating products with Josephinenhütte that are not only functional, but also artistic and inspiring. "For me, it's about keeping traditions alive and at the same time breaking new ground," says Kurt Josef Zalto.

Brilliant and functional

Kurt Josef Zalto was inspired by a diamond when designing the decanter. Accordingly, the decanter is minimalist in design and delicate in structure. This also convinced the international jury of leading experts from various design disciplines.

The iconic shape of the decanter ensures optimum aeration of the wine and thus extracts the last flavorful secret from premium wines. In addition to the characteristic bend of the JOSEPHINE series, the decanter has a cone at the bottom. This distinctive design element ensures that the wine is quickly enriched with oxygen when it is poured thanks to a spiral-shaped swirl, allowing one to perceive the wine’s colored nuances.