Chef & Sommelier Macaron

The size of the bowl determines almost everything. The 40 cl glass is the all-rounder in which both a white and a light red sit well, and it is the size you pick if you want a single set for the whole table. The 50 cl gives red wine more surface to catch air. The 60 cl is the burgundy shape: wide and rounded, meant for pinot noir and other wines where the aroma does the work.

Do not fill any of these glasses halfway. A third full is the maximum, otherwise the shape works against you instead of for you.

Always hold the glass by the stem. That is not etiquette but temperature control: a hand around the bowl warms white wine noticeably within a few minutes. Before tasting, swirl a few times so the wine runs up the wall, and only then take in the aroma. The 30 cl champagne glass is a coupe rather than a flute, so the bubbles leave faster; that is exactly what you want with a kir royal or a french 75, where the flavour matters more than the fizz.

Krysta is crystal glass without lead, which makes it dishwasher-safe. It is still thin glass, though: use a short programme, don't let bowls touch each other, and take the glasses out before they have gone cold, because the remaining water then dries without marks. Store them upright rather than on the rim, since the rim is the most vulnerable part of the whole glass. Don't put anything on top of them either.

If you would rather compare by shape than by range, the red wine glasses and the white wine glasses are sorted by size. You will find the 30 cl coupe again among the champagne coupes, alongside the flutes. The other ranges from this brand are at Chef & Sommelier. And if you are looking for something to serve the bottle itself from, have a look at the carafes.