J-Line Vera

Within Vera the choice is really about stem or no stem. The 27 cl wine glass has a short stem and a bowl just wide enough to swirl a white or a rosé without sending it over the rim. The water glass is a tumbler you hold in your hand, comfortable for water, iced tea and soft drinks at the table. Both are on the thick side, so they feel heavier than a fine-walled glass of the same capacity. Count on two glasses per guest if you pour water and wine side by side, and bear in mind that green glass mutes the colour of red wine.

Pour the wine glass about a third full, around nine centilitres, and you keep room above the liquid where the aroma gathers. Vera is at its best with light, fresh drinks: a Hugo Spritz with elderflower and mint looks lovely through the green, and a jug of sangria with slices of lime belongs on the same table. Fill the water glass with tap water and ice, but it works just as well for a long drink.

Vera is machine-pressed soda-lime glass rather than crystal, which makes it less vulnerable to knocks than a fine-walled alternative. The glasses can go in the dishwasher on a normal programme; place them apart in the rack so the rims do not tap against each other. The green colour is in the glass itself and therefore does not fade. Dry them off with linen, because cotton leaves lint on the wall.

If you are looking for more from the same house, the complete J-Line collection shows how the brand handles colour and shape. To stay with this tint but in a different type of glass, take a look at the coloured glasses. For a more classic wine glass on a long stem the wine glasses are the place to start, and for the rest of the table the water glasses. If you pour from a carafe, a pouring spout keeps the tablecloth dry.