Bormioli Rocco Premium

The rule of thumb is simple: the fuller the wine, the bigger the bowl. For crisp white wine, 29 or 33 cl works well, because the wine is finished before it turns warm. Red wine needs air; with 55 to 66 cl you can pour a third and still swirl without spilling. The 66 cl glass is the Burgundy size, with a rounded bowl that holds the aroma. Never pour more than a third, whatever the size. The 26 cl champagne flute keeps the bubbles going for a long time. Compare with the red wine glasses and the white wine glasses.

Always hold the glass by the stem, including when you hand it over: on the bowl you leave fingerprints and warm the wine. Pour white wine straight from the fridge and let it warm a few degrees in the glass; red wine actually belongs slightly below room temperature. Warm the 64.5 cl cognac glass with the palm of your hand, which is exactly what that rounded shape is for. For a kir royal pour the crème into the flute first and only then the bubbles, otherwise it will not mix.

Crystalline glass contains no lead, but it does contain additives that make the glass clearer and stronger than ordinary soda-lime glass. That allows the rim to be thinner without the glass breaking straight away. The Premium may go in the dishwasher, provided you place the glasses apart from each other in a glass basket. Limescale marks show up faster on a thin bowl: use rinse aid and dry them off with a microfibre cloth. Never twist the stem while polishing, because that is where it snaps.

If you want one glass that has to do everything, a universal bowl makes more sense than this line; in that case have a look at the wine glasses. For bubbles on their own there is the champagne flutes category, and for spirits after a meal the cognac glasses. The full offering from Bormioli Rocco shows which other series exist. For a mimosa you use that same 26 cl flute.