Zieher Balanced

All wine glasses serve the same purpose; they provide endless hours of vinous enjoyment. Still, not all stemware is created equal — some are authentic works of art! I’ve taste-tested the new Zieher Balanced wine glass, one of the highest-rated in its category, also known for its elegant look and unusual shape. Zieher created this versatile glass for red, rosé and white wine alike, and the design is said to make wine taste more balanced. Does it? Here’s what  I found out.

Zieher Balanced is part of the company’s Vision Collection. The glass is hand-blown with crystalline glass for a thin rim and exquisite lightness. The glass is 12 inches tall (25cm), has a capacity of 850ml, and is designed to bring the best out of “highly complex but sensitive wine.” This includes Burgundies, Barolos and even vintage Champagne.

When tasted with a well-aged white Burgundy, I immediately understood why the glass has such a wide surface — the wine opened up with the slightest swirl.

Rosé, Amber and Red wines also showed its most expressive side when poured into Zieher’s Balance. The bowl’s shape encourages the wine to be in contact with air, volatilizing its aromatic compounds while capturing them thanks to its relatively narrow rim.

The Bottom Line

Zieher Balanced

Does the Zieher Vision Balanced wine glass make wine taste more balanced? No wine glass can make a lousy wine taste great. Still, I can say Zieher wine glass makes wine more enjoyable. The wine glass “opens” the wine and helps it breathe, increasing its intensity and allowing it to show its full aromatic spectrum.
Elegant and complex wines truly shine when poured into Balanced wine glasses, perhaps even eliminating the need for decanting. This is a ten out of ten in our books but make your own taste test and experience Zieher’s stemware for yourself!

Available in Australia @smithandhubble