Bormioli Rocco Electra

The wine side of the series counts four sizes, and they are far apart. The 19 cl glass is small and meant for a single glass at lunch or for dessert wine. At 35 cl you have a pleasant all-rounder for white wine. The 44 and 55 cl bowls are the red wine glasses: the largest gives a full-bodied wine enough air to open up without you filling the glass too far.

There is also a 23 cl champagne flute, a 39 cl long drink glass and a 38 cl tumbler. Those last two share the twisted ribs with the bowls, so you can carry the series through to the bar.

Fill the 55 cl bowl to about a third. That leaves enough room to swirl, and with a young red wine that is the difference between closed and open. Pour the 35 cl glass a little fuller, because white wine has to stay cold and a small volume warms up faster.

The 23 cl flute is ideal for a mimosa: orange juice first, then the sparkling wine, otherwise the glass foams over. For a bellini you do the same with peach purée, which you first bring to room temperature so it does not sink to the bottom.

Crystalline glass is lead-free and stands up to the dishwasher better than true crystal. The bowls do have a thin, twisted wall that damages easily if glasses stand against each other. So use a glass rack or leave space between the stems.

With hard water, a haze builds up in the grooves more quickly. A short programme and drying off with a cloth solves that.

The full range from the Italian maker is under Bormioli Rocco. If you are looking purely for red wine, the red wine glasses overview offers more bowl shapes, and for sparkling wine the champagne flutes put every size side by side. If you keep a bottle out on the table, the champagne coolers hold it at temperature without you having to put it away each time. The 39 cl long drink glass finds company with the long drink glasses.