SPIEGELAU Salute

The 46.5 cl is the smallest and therefore the most useful for white wine, because a smaller glass keeps the wine cold for longer. The 55 cl is the universal one: white wine with some body and light reds both work here. The 71 cl is the bordeaux shape for cabernet and syrah, where height helps the tannins settle. The 81 cl is the burgundy shape for pinot noir, wide enough to gather the aroma. In all four you pour 12 to 15 cl, so about a third. The 21 cl flute is deliberately narrow and small, so sparkling wine does not go flat and warm. Compare with the other large wine glasses and with the wide selection of wine glasses.

A large bowl lets you swirl without spilling, and that is exactly what it is for: one turn along the wall brings enough oxygen into the wine to release the first aromas. Do it once and not five times, because after that more is lost than gained. Use the flute for champagne on its own, but also for a bellini. For an aperol spritz reach for the 55 cl instead, which takes ice and orange side by side.

The problem with large glasses is not the dishwasher but the cupboard. An 81 cl bowl does not fit under every shelf, and a glass you have to tilt to get the door shut will break sooner or later. So measure before you order. This range can go in the dishwasher on a short programme; place the bowls apart from one another and polish afterwards with a lint-free cloth.

If these bowls are too tall for your cupboard, the answer lies with the red wine glasses with a lower build and a shorter stem. For wine by the glass that needs to stay cold, look at the white wine glasses, where the smaller bowls are. The separate sparkling models are under champagne flute glasses, and the brand's other ranges under Spiegelau, including Hybrid and Lounge 2.0.