Hans Denk Explained

Hans Denk (15 May 1942 – 21 April 2019) was an Austrian Roman Catholic priest and wine expert who became famous for inventing the Denk'Art wine glasses.

Early life

Denk grew up as the son of a farmer in Niedergrünbach in the Waldviertel region of Austria.[1] [2] After finishing school, he studied theology and was ordained a priest on 29 June 1965. In 1980, he became pastor in the parish of Albrechtsberg, where he worked until his retirement in 2014.[3]

Denk gained nationwide recognition as a wine expert and was considered one of the most influential figures in Austrian wine. He was nicknamed the "wine priest" due to his exceptional sensory abilities, consistently achieving a remarkably high accuracy in blind tastings. In particular, during tastings of wines from the Wachau region, he frequently identified not only the grape variety, vintage, and winemaker but also the specific vineyard.

Following a fall, Denk became wheelchair-bound and spent his final years at the Haus St. Elisabeth nursing home on the outskirts of St.Pölten. He passed away on 21 April 2019 after a brief, serious illness. He is buried in the cemetery in Albrechtsberg.

Development and success of the Zalto-Denk'Art wine glasses

In 2001, Hans Denk launched a project to develop a sensory-optimized wine glass series.[4] In 2004, the Zalto-Denk'Art glasses designed as part of this cooperation were launched on the market. The six-piece wine glass series has special features in terms of shape and feel. The curvature between the stem and the widest point corresponds to the angle of inclination of the planet Earth in its orbit around the sun. The mouth-blown and handmade Zalto-Denk'Art wine glasses are particularly light and thin-walled. International wine experts such as the influential US wine critic Robert Parker,[5] the British wine critic Jancis Robinson,[6] the New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov,[7] the British wine expert Andrew Jefford[8] and the German wine journalist and author Jens Priewe are absolutely convinced by the wine glass design. In 2016, the Wall Street Journal named Denk'Art glasses as one of the six design pieces that could not be improved.[9]

In exclusive restaurants such as the Steirereck in Vienna, The Ledbury in London, Astrance in Paris, Park Hyatt in Tokyo and Le Bernadin in New York, wine is only served from these glasses.

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Weinpfarrer und Ehrenbürger Hans Denk verstorben . 21 February 2024 . In: albrechtsberg.at. Retrieved February 21, 2024 (see obituary in the download Parte Johann Denk (PDF)). . de.
  2. Web site: Watteck . Marina . 24 April 2019 . Weinpfarrer und Ehrenbürger Hans Denk verstorben . 21 February 2024 . Radio Niederösterreich . de.
  3. Web site: 26 April 2019 . "Weinpfarrer" Hans Denk wird am 10. Mai beigesetzt . 21 February 2024 . NÖN . de.
  4. Web site: Denk'Art . 21 February 2024 . Zaltoglas.at.
  5. Web site: Parker . Robert . 13 May 2015 . Parker on Zalto Stemware . 21 February 2024 . youtube.
  6. Web site: Priewe . Jens . Das Glas, das die Weinkenner entzückt: Zalto . 21 February 2024 . Weinkenner . 27 January 2020 . de.
  7. Web site: Asimov . Eric . 28 January 2021 . How To Choose The Best Wine Glass . 21 February 2024 . The New York Times.
  8. Web site: Jefford . Andrew . 5 July 2013 . Jefford on Monday: Confessions of a Cobbler . 21 February 2024 . Decanter.
  9. Web site: 10 June 2016 . The Unimprovable Awards: Celebrating 6 Perfect Things . 20 February 2024 . The Wall Street Journal.