Hans Denk

This article is about the twentieth-century wine glass designer. For the sixteenth-century theologian, see Hans Denck.
Hans Denk in 2002

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 was the son of a farmer in Niedergrünbach in the Waldviertel region of Austria.[1][2] 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 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 illness.[1] He is buried in the cemetery in Albrechtsberg. [3]

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

Photo of a Zalto-Denk'Art glass.

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. The six-piece wine glass series bears special features in shape and feel. The curvature between the stem and the widest point corresponds to the angle of inclination of the Earth in its orbit around the sun. The mouth-blown and handmade glasses are particularly light and thin-walled. International wine experts such as the U.S. wine critic Robert Parker,[5] the British wine critic Jancis Robinson,[6] New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov,[7] British wine expert Andrew Jefford[8] and German wine journalist Jens Priewe[6] spoke well of the wine glass design. In 2016, the Wall Street Journal named Denk'Art glasses as one of the six design pieces that were reportedly perfect.[9]

Further reading

  • Bernulf Bruckner: Der Weinpfarrer Denk. Beichtgespräche mit dem Oberhirten des Weines. Verlag NÖ. Pressehaus, St. Pölten/Wien 2002, ISBN 3-85326-176-0.
  • Christina Fieber und Herbert Hacker: Legendäre Weine Österreichs präsentiert von Weinpfarrer Hans Denk. Pichler Verlag, Wien/Graz/Klagenfurt 2011, ISBN 978-3-85431-529-2.

References

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