… I also asked myself whether this would work from a functional perspective, of course. This just isn’t something you would put together in theory: porcelain, gold and wine. This is why I immediately said that I wanted to try them.

How did you test them? And how would you rate the tumblers in general?
Really intriguing and different. A charming, high-quality alternative to a glass – with advantages and disadvantages. For comparison, I took a classic white-wine, red-wine and Burgundy glass. This makes the differences really striking. The young, fresh, fragrant white wines that always jump sumptuously out of the glass, for example, were slightly more delicate in the porcelain, slightly more refined, slightly more balanced. I found that really quite charming.

So how does it feel to drink wine out of porcelain for you? The haptics and mouthfeel differ considerably when compared to a glass.
Absolutely. With the matt satin tumblers in particular, I find it extremely pleasant to have this coarse surface at your lips. It makes a huge difference to the drink because you have the three dimensions of aroma, taste and feel. The senses make you much more present in the moment. You don’t just enjoy or taste wine with your mouth. When it comes to the senses, 80% goes via the nose. And then you get this extra dimension – the haptics – the feeling of how I grip the tumbler. You turn it. You move it. You do something. Everyone does it when there is a wine glass on the table. You give it a swirl. You hold it up a bit. With the tumblers, you have a couple of additional options. They have something playful about them. This will definitely appeal to younger generations, too.

So, is the tumbler not for everyone?
If you are a committed wine drinker who has been drinking from mouth-blown glasses for ten years, then you have preconceptions. You have to approach it with an open mind and taste the wine several times. Wine is vibrant. It changes. This is something I found intriguing about the porcelain tumblers: the tertiary aromas were especially refined.

Who are the tumblers made for, in your opinion?
For people who have this understanding of handcrafted porcelain, who understand how to enjoy something beautiful and valuable – but also how to enjoy discovering something new and playfully varying it again and again. No two days are the same. One day I’ll drink from a glass and the next from porcelain. It’s the same at home. And I think that’s the great thing about it: always having something new and not lapsing into monotony.

Are there wines that taste especially good to you from the tumblers?
I think that the tumblers are particularly suited to uncomplicated, fun wines. The ones where you open the bottle, drink a glass and then you want to drink the whole bottle because it’s good and straightforward. I also think this really suits the product because it has something playful about it, something pleasurable. Ultimately, the tumblers are all-rounders; you can try anything in them.

Would you recommend anything in particular?
I think Burgundy grape varieties are very charming in the tumblers, beginning with a lovely, delicate Pinot Blanc that simply focuses on these tertiary aromas – on this beautiful floral quality rather than the exotic and fruity. But the Rieslings were also tantalising. They always have a very intense mineral flavour, which is brought out in a very refined way with these tumblers. The philosophical wines are perhaps less well suited – the ones that give you plenty to think about: the fairly mature wines, primarily.

From a restaurateur’s point of view, you have identified some disadvantages, too?
The filling capacity is tricky. You don’t know how much there is in there. A trained sommelier keeps tally internally as they pour and can judge the filling capacity on this basis. But the guest will ask themselves how they can know how much is in the tumbler. For this reason, it is more suited to bottle sales, generally speaking. It is astonishing how incredibly thin the walls of the porcelain are. But a mouth-blown wine glass is thinner and lighter when you swirl it. And you don’t warm a glass up because you’re holding the stem. As soon as you hold the porcelain tumbler in your hand for longer, the wine will warm quicker. This is something to watch out for with white wines in particular. But this can also be seen as a positive thing because the fact that it warms more quickly may lead to aromas being perceived that would not have been tasted otherwise.

We have just been talking about wine. What do you think of the digestif tumblers?
Absolutely fantastic. Really, really cool. Plenty of advantages and no disadvantages whatsoever. The shape is incredibly charming because the tumbler is a bit narrower at the top. The alcohol doesn’t hit your nose immediately. Sometimes the opening is far too large. You go in with your nose and the first thing you smell is the alcohol. This shouldn’t happen. With the digestif tumblers, you can discern the fine aromas especially well, be it a nice whisky, fruit brandy or tequila. It is extremely versatile.

Where can the tumblers be used in the restaurant trade?
In high-end gastronomy. I would recommend them to restaurants with expertise in wines. The ones who grab their guests and say: “Just give it a go”. For wine connoisseurs in particular who know all there is to know. You can tease the guest out of their comfort zone. If you have different wines for various dishes and this porcelain tumbler is used specially for one of them, then you have something new, something to talk about. And the wine will taste absolutely sensational from the tumbler. I think that this kind of meal out is all about experiences and emotions.

Are you someone who tends to go to restaurants or who invites people around to your home?
I love going out to eat. It’s my lifeblood – the greatest of life’s pleasures. And I always think it’s a talking point if someone starts on a juice detox or a diet. Then I think to myself: eating and drinking is so wonderful. How can anyone do without it?

Speaking of enjoyment: tell us a little more about your new culinary home, the Hafenküche in Berlin. What plans do you have?
The Hafenküche should be somewhere people feel at ease. A place where I would like to go out to eat: straightforward but still high-quality. A place for everyone. We want to be a restaurant where people experience informal, laid-back, friendly and warm service, where they sit in a pleasant atmosphere and can feel at home. A place where you can go and eat with family, but also go on a date.