An Homage to Aroma

SPIEGELAU Willsberger Anniversary

Unfolding character

All of forty years ago, a revolutionary idea swept the wine world: wine glasses with a wider bowl allowed the wine more “headspace” to unfurl its character. The result replaced the classic wine glass with egg-shaped bowl that had previously been in widespread use.

The filled white wine glass and the filled Bordeaux glass SPIEGELAU Willsberger Anniversary in front of the SPIEGELAU Perfect Serve Collection SOF glass and the filled SPIEGELAU Novo decanter. All of them on a dinner table surrounded by people.<br/>

Today, of course, wine glasses with angular or “diamond” shape bowls have become popular with connoisseurs. The glassware designs in the SPIEGELAU Willsberger Anniversary series pay tribute to their famous forebear in shape and quality, but are industrially manufactured, making them immensely affordable. Willsberger Anniversary is SPIEGELAU’s new reinterpretation of the original Willsberger designs, every bit as fine and delicate as their ground-breaking ancestor. SPIEGELAU was the first manufacturer to produce Johann Willsberger’s mouth-blown glass series, with shapes and lines that are still prized as superlative by wine experts today. So imagine the astonishment of the wine community when SPIEGELAU launched its first successful industrial production of this highly complex form!

Willsberger Anniversary

Design and functionality

These tall, elegant glasses make an impression from the very first moment they are held. They sit so comfortably in the hand and are so pleasantly light in weight - yet offer enormous stability, easily cope with everyday use, and transform the enjoyment of fine wines into a memorable experience. Each glass has its own special features.
A hand holding the SPIEGELAU Burgundy glass of the series Willsberger Anniversary, filled with rosé colored sparkling wine. Further back on the wooden table, there are more glasses.<br/>

Perfectly balanced design

Lies comfortably in the hand

Maximum enjoyment

Thin walled for maximum wine enjoyment. Yet stable and resilient.

Willsberger Anniversary

Champagne glass

The most sophisticated design is the Champagne Glass. Its meticulously crafted lines allow the wine’s bouquet to develop in full without vanishing too quickly. The fine bubbles must sparkle on the tastebuds without foaming excessively on the palate - a feat achieved here by the nucleation point, a feature of all SPIEGELAU champagne glasses. The glass needs to showcase the wine’s flavor components and support its long, intense finish. The Willsberger Anniversary Champagne Glass is a winner in all three criteria.

Willsberger Anniversary

White wine glass

The White Wine Glass is carefully designed to encourage wines to reveal their hidden qualities. The very best glasses allow every nuance, every finesse, every intricacy of a good white wine - and most certainly of a great one - to be experienced. Good design supports the wine’s characteristics, neither disguising its flaws nor detracting from its strong points. The Willsberger Anniversary White Wine Glass is the ideal choice for all white wines, from the freshness of a Sylvaner to the elegant sweetness of a Riesling.

Willsberger Anniversary

Red wine glass

The Red Wine Glass is the perfect complement for the series and suits virtually all red wines. “The perfection of harmony” captures the essence of the Willsberger Anniversary series.

Willsberger Anniversary

Bordeaux glass

The Bordeaux Glass is designed to provide the headspace a wine needs to develop its nuances to the maximum. Full-bodied reds need large glasses to unfold their strength, body, and character most effectively. To allow the varied notes of bouquet and aroma to evolve and grow, these wines need a large surface area to maximize aeration. The Willsberger Anniversary Bordeaux Glass is a harmonious partner for classic French Cabernets, but is equally at home with fiery Spaniards, exuberant Italians, dynamic Californians, and New World standouts from Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa.

Willsberger Anniversary

Burgundy glass

The Burgundy Glass gives every nuance its chance to shine. These low-tannin, full-bodied reds like Burgundy’s own delicate pinot noir love wide-bowled glasses, in which they can develop their bouquet and aroma to the full. Large glasses are the best, enabling the subtle nuances and delicate aromas to unfold. But rules are made to be broken. As well as pinot noir, the generously sized Willsberger Anniversary Burgundy Glass also embraces the opulent fruity nature of white burgundies like chardonnay, pinot blanc and gris, and rosé champagne.

Willsberger Anniversary

Spirit Glasses

Long live individuality! The Spirits Glasses in SPIEGELAU’s Willsberger Anniversary series highlight the unique character of the whiskies, aperitifs, and digestifs served in them. From a rich whisky to a classic Mediterranean aperitif or a smooth cognac, schnapps, or herbal liqueur, the Willsberger Anniversary series has the perfect glass for all of them. The finishing touch that makes enjoyment complete.
The striking shape of these glasses was designed in 1982 by Johann Willsberger and rapidly conquered the fine dining world around the globe.
The world of wine has produced an incredible diversity of wine characters – and only a perfect glass can bring them to express their full potential.
A portrait of Johann Willsberger in black and white<br/>

Johann Willsberger

Designer of the Willsberger Anniversary line,
author, photographer and publisher