Melbourne-based glassware company Denver & Liely launched in 2014, with a striking snifter designed to enhance the taste of any whisky put inside it. That’s been the brand’s raison d’être ever since. Successive releases of the hand-blown crystal glasses have all aimed to make gin, beer, bourbon, tequila and mezcal taste like their best selves.
Now comes the most ambitious product yet, a $200 wine glass designed to eliminate the need for decanting – and possibly even cellaring. The design process spanned eight years, involving consumer testing and consultations with renowned wine houses such as Château Pichon Baron and Penfolds.
Eight asymmetrical fins extend radially from the bottom of each glass and enable “unparalleled control of aeration”. Swirl the glass clockwise for a gentle aeration. Spin it the other way and the agitation increases, introducing more oxygen to the wine. Inspired by the turbine engine, these directional fins promise to accelerate the oxidative process, softening tannins and enhancing flavours with every swirl.
The Australian Financial Review says French wine experts were “floored” by the design. Bordeaux wine authority Count Stephan Graf von Neipperg claims it can “make a wine taste like it’s aged another four or five years”.
The problem with his claim is that it’s at odds with the science of wine. The right amount of aeration (or getting oxygen into a wine as you drink it) will indeed “open up” the wine so you can experience more flavours. But this doesn’t equate to ageing, which is a slow degradation of wine as the yeasts, enzymes and other compounds in it break down and develop into new flavours. This process takes time and is the magic behind wine being a living, breathing product in a bottle. Improved aeration can’t mimic this process.
The taste test
With the glass in my hand, the first thing I notice is its weight. It’s very dense and bottom-heavy, especially compared with other premium glassware such as Gabriel-Glas and Zalto, which are so light and delicate in the hand. But the Denver & Liely is an absolute joy when I start to get my swirl on. The movement is effortless and the glass feels like an extension of my wrist.
The first wine I taste in it is Yalumba’s 2024 grenache blanc. It showcases its hallmark green peppercorn and lemon notes but remains closed and restrained. Even with coaxing and swirling in the glass, it struggles to display its full character, suggesting that a decanter or extended glass time would have been more effective in bringing out more of those ripe white peach flavours.
The glass really shines with my second wine, though. It’s Shaw & Smith’s 2022 shiraz, and my swirl unlocks savoury notes of star anise and cedar alongside vibrant blackcurrant and plum. In only a short time, these developed into kirsch and cassia bark, echoing the results of hours in a decanter.
The thing is, while the glass is beautifully designed and impresses with its craftsmanship, a decanter at the same price – or cellared wines ready to drink – would offer the same or more value for most enthusiasts. Even as a wine professional with 20 years’ experience, I had to rely on a seasoned palate and critical mind to figure out if the glass lives up to its promise. The effect is subtle, sometimes verging on undetectable.
So, who will this glass appeal to? Well, I imagine those with an appreciation for innovative Australian design, particularly pieces that break away from the conventions of European glassware. There’s no denying the swirling experience certainly brings a sense of novelty and fun – the question remains whether that justifies the investment. I’d say it really depends on the wine you’re drinking.
