La Rochere Perigord

The sizes are modestly French, and that is deliberate: better to top up more often than to sit for half an hour with a glass that is slowly warming up. The wine glass of 19 centilitres is meant for white and light red, with the 22 cl water glass beside it for the whole meal. The 23 cl tumbler is the all-round size for juice or a drink, the 22 cl coupe is for dessert or something creamy, and the 16 cl flute is the aperitif size. The 38 cl longdrink glass stands apart in format and is intended for water with ice or a long drink. Every model comes in sixes.

Set the table from the outside in: water glass above and to the right of the plate, wine glass next to it, flute behind for the aperitif. Fill the 19 cl wine glass to about halfway, which leaves room for the aroma and keeps the wine cool. The 16 cl flute holds exactly one pour, handy for a Mimosa during a long lunch. The 22 cl coupe works for ice cream or mousse, and the 38 cl longdrink glass is the obvious pitcher-sized option for a glass of Sangria with plenty of ice.

Pressed glass has a thicker wall than drawn crystal and can therefore take more. Périgord is dishwasher safe and suited to daily use, including in hospitality. In hard water the ribbed pattern holds on to limescale faster than a smooth wall, so run a programme with enough rinsing or dry the glasses with a cloth afterwards. Place the coupe and the flute separately in the rack, because thin rims chip easily.

The full range from this brand is at La Rochère. If you are looking by shape, have a look at water glasses or tumbler glasses. For the aperitif there is a wider overview with champagne flute glasses, for dessert the dessert glasses are grouped together, and anyone who wants to set a whole table at once should look at the glassware sets, where complete combinations are collected.