Stolzle Ultra

The difference between the three bowls lies in how much air you allow the wine. In the 37.5 cl you pour young white wine that needs to hold on to its freshness, because a small glass lets less evaporate. The 45 cl is the size that stands on most tables, suitable for both white and light red wine. You take the 55 cl for red wine with firm tannins, which benefits from space. The 19 cl flute is narrow and tall, which keeps the bubbles in a tight thread for longer instead of letting them escape at once.

Never fill a wine bowl beyond a third. You need the empty space to be able to swirl, and without swirling the aroma does not come loose. The flute, by contrast, you fill to about two thirds, along the wall and in two goes, so the foam does not run over the rim. You build a kir royal in the flute with the crème de cassis at the bottom, and a mimosa with the juice first instead.

That pulled stem is at once the strongest feature of the series. Where an applied stem can snap at the join, Ultra is one continuous piece of glass at that point. Stölzle Lausitz calls that dishwasher safe for several thousand cycles, and in hospitality that is the difference between reordering every year and not. Wash on a short glassware programme, stand the bowls upright and do not let them touch each other.

If you want to compare other series from the same house, take a look at Stölzle Lausitz, where the heavier and the wider lines stand alongside Ultra. If you are searching by shape instead, you will find Ultra among the champagne flutes and the red wine glasses. If you serve bubbles at the table, the champagne coolers keep the bottle at temperature without you having to put it away.