Melbourne-based glassware producer Denver & Liely, which shot to fame 10 years ago with its cult whisky glass, has added an A$200 (£105) wine glass to its collection.
The hand-blown crystal vessel went through eight years of R&D before it’s November 2024 launch. In that time, the company perfected a beer glass, a gin glass, a bourbon glass and an agave glass. But with its multi-directional turbine ‘hub’, which is designed to aerate the wine in a similar fashion to decanting, the wine glass was a lengthier proposition.
Industrial designer (and company owner) Denver Cramer found inspiration in commercial jet engines, particularly the connection between propulsion and air. ‘It got me thinking about at the ritual of enjoying wine, about why wine tastes better over time [in a decanter]. It took a while, but eventually we worked out that there’s a more efficient way,’ he said.
The premise is complete control at an individual level. Swirling the glass counterclockwise is the ‘harder’ aeration option, Cramer explained. It’s for younger wines and more structured releases you might want to advance three to five years. Swirl clockwise and the aeration is lighter, a ‘fine tuning’ for older or more delicate wines.
In action, the glass takes getting used to – not unlike driving a new car for the first time. A significant upward tilt is required due to the glass’s wide hip and tulip-shaped lip, for example, but that’s not a negative. Likewise, the universal design suits Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and nicely showcases the nuance of Shiraz/Cabernet blends (how very Australian), but it’s not great for Champagne. The aeration hub will knock bubbles flat in just a few swirls, because that’s what aeration does.
Cramer carried prototypes around in his suitcase for years, tweaking the design over long lunches and cellar door sessions with winemakers and distillers from Mexico to Magill Estate. Earlier this year, he took the glass on tour in Burgundy and Bordeaux, consulting with top names including Tony Asseily of Château Biac, Jane Eyre from Jane Eyre Wines, Esther Hermouet of Vignobles Hermouet and Nicolas Santier at Château Pichon-Baron.
‘Every single winery, they were just blown away. To get that validation from people who know their stuff, it’s like hearing from Michael Jordan that you’ve got a great free throw,’ Cramer said.
Hand-blown and hand polished, the glasses are (unofficially) dishwasher safe, despite the hand-wash only label. Cramer just wants people to use them: ‘It’s about enjoying wine, not leaving it on the shelf. There’s enough durability that it’s not going to crumble.’
Batch one of the Denver & Liely wine glass, a run of 5,000 units, is available online for worldwide shipping. Official UK and US launches will stock to international retailers in 2025.
