Zwiesel Glas Vinody

With a water glass, look at the capacity in relation to the rest of your table setting. 35.9 cl is substantial enough not to have to top up every two minutes, which saves you walking back and forth. The 21.4 cl champagne glass is deliberately kept narrow: the smaller the surface, the longer the carbonation stays in the wine. In the base there is an effervescence point, a minute rough spot that gives the bubbles a fixed starting place, so you see a continuous stream rather than random foam. If you would rather have a wide shape, have a look at the champagne coupes.

Pour sparkling wine in two goes and hold the glass at a slight angle, so the foam stays inside the rim. Fill to about two thirds; above that you lose both aroma and bubbles. For a mimosa the orange juice goes into the glass first and the wine only afterwards, otherwise it fizzes over. A kir royal starts the other way round: a little crème de cassis at the bottom, calmly topped up with cold champagne. Keep the water glass beside it for tap or spring water, chilled but without ice, so the taste of the water itself comes through and the table stays uncluttered.

Vinody is made from Tritan crystal glass, which thanks to the addition of titanium and zirconium stands up to scratches and breakage better than ordinary crystal. The glasses are dishwasher safe. Hold them by the foot and never by the bowl, because that is where the weak point lies. Place them upright in the rack and do not let the stems touch.

The complete range from this brand can be found at Zwiesel Glas, which incidentally is a different brand from Schott Zwiesel. If you are looking for more flutes, browse the champagne flutes, or see the water glasses for other sizes. If you serve outdoors, a champagne cooler keeps the bottle at temperature. Torn between a flute and a coupe? The rule of thumb is simple: the narrower the glass, the longer the bubbles last.