Josephinenhütte has expanded its successful Black Line: for the first time, the red wine glass Josephine No 3 is now also available in smoke black. The additional coloring fundamentally changes the character of the glass: it appears less like a quiet companion at the table and more like a design object with clear contours and a strong visual presence.
Designed by Austrian glass designer and Josephinenhütte co-founder Kurt Josef Zalto, the Josephine No 3 is considered one of the most technically challenging designs in the Josephine series. The distinctive kink in the bowl is not a decorative detail but a functional intervention: it combines the generosity of a Burgundy glass with a more focused aroma guidance known from Bordeaux glasses. In the Black Line, the shape remains unchanged, as does the production process: each glass is still mouth-blown.
»My passion for the interplay of light and shadow led me to the idea of designing a limited series of black glasses. The Black Line is an emotional statement that celebrates the aesthetics of the moment—a glass that deliberately focuses on design and sensuality,« Kurt Josef Zalto tells Chapter. The method of production is also crucial: »The glass is made in a dedicated melting shop in the harbor furnace—as a small, controlled batch rather than in a large-volume tank system. The smoke black tone is created directly in the glass, not through a subsequent coating: a special additive develops the color during the melting process. Each glass receives its color gradient through the craftsmanship of the master glassblowers—and is therefore always unique.«
Form follows function. The wide lower bowl initially gives the wine a large surface area, allowing the aromas to open up quickly when swirling. At the same time, the kink directs the wine in a controlled way along the glass wall, enabling the aromas to unfold evenly without dissipating abruptly.
In the upper section, the bowl tapers slightly. This geometry concentrates the aromas and guides them precisely to the nose, making it easier to distinguish fine nuances. When drinking, the shape of the glass guides the wine at a specific angle onto the tongue, allowing fruit, acidity, and structure to be perceived in a more balanced way. Both powerful and complex wines are thus rendered with precision in their depth and balance, without tying the wine to a classic glass typology.
The current Black Line edition was limited to just 2,800 glasses worldwide and sold out within a short time. With the Josephine No 3 in smoke black, the edition logic has been consistently continued. The result is less a completely new glass than an intriguing new interpretation of a well-known glass design. [TVR]
