In less than six years, his mouth-blown glasses have made their mark on the world of wine. All over the world, renowned winemakers have made them their own. It’s a success story that, as far back as 2022, earned this Swiss entrepreneur a place on the Forbes list of ‘30 under 30’ people to watch…
Why did you decide to create Grassl Glass?
I come from a family of hoteliers and restaurateurs. We’ve always bought and sold wine. I was very quickly captivated by this product. After setting up my own cellar in Austria, Alpine Cellar, I wanted to look into glassware. I thought the existing range was rather cheap, not only in terms of manufacture but also aesthetics. Above all, as I talked to winemakers from all walks of life, it became clear to me that the glassware was systematically limited to a specific aspect that influenced the tasting experience. Some wines showed very lactic, others very fruity… I wanted to create glass collections that would allow wines to express its styles in all its purity, reflecting as much as possible the winemaker’s choices, from the vine to the cellar. A glassware that is both highly functional and focused on wine styles, rather than on regions or grape varieties, while also respecting the most exacting traditional craftsmanship.
How did you get started?
As I’m not a designer by training, and even less specialised in glassmaking, I felt it was necessary to let the winemakers judge the quality of the prototypes I produced by comparing them with glasses from other brands. In 2018, I took advantage of my contacts to approach some of them. Quite quickly, some big names, in particular Jean-Marc Roulot, were convinced and placed orders with me. In just one year, Grassl Glass was already present in 10 countries. Now, it’s 35, including four key markets in Europe: Denmark, Italy, France and Switzerland.
You currently offer two ranges of glasses, all designed in Switzerland and handmade in Slovakia: Vigneron, for professionals and enlightened amateurs, and Elemental, for the general public…
That’s right. Elemental is perfect for occasional tasters, with a universal glass, Versatile, for all still wines, and a bubble glass, Champagne, for sparkling wines. The Vigneron series, on the other hand, is more precise, more focused. It includes four glasses: Minéralité, for light whites or sparkling wines that are fresh and lively; Liberté, for full-bodied whites; Cru, for easy-drinking reds; and 1855, for more complex reds with body and concentration… This is our flagship collection. The starting point for Grassl Glass.
What’s next?
I’m finalising a new range: Origin. I hope it will highlight all the specific characteristics of a particular terroir, such as Meursault Perrières or Musigny. This is just one sign of our ambition to position Grassl Glass as more of a wine brand than a glass brand…