Chef & Sommelier Symetrie

Start with the wine size you pour most often. The 35 cl bowl is the smallest and suits white wine, where a smaller pour keeps the wine cold. The 45 cl is the all-rounder and by far the best-selling model in the range, suitable for white as well as light red. For fuller red wine there are bowls of 55 and 58 cl, roomy enough to swirl without spilling. For sparkling wine you choose between two flutes of 16 and 21 cl or a coupe of 21 cl, which is wider and releases the aroma more quickly.

Pour wine to about a third of the bowl, so the 45 cl model takes some 15 cl. That looks like little, but room has to remain above the wine for the aroma to gather. The 16 cl flute is the classic size for a glass of champagne on arrival, the 21 cl leaves space for a mix. A Bellini is made with peach purée at the bottom, topped up with prosecco that you let run along the wall of the glass. A Mimosa does better in the coupe, where the orange aroma comes up straight away.

Symetrie too is made of Krysta, the manufacturer's lead-free crystal glass, with a rim that is given extra heat during production and therefore takes knocks better. That makes the range suitable for a dishwasher that runs every day. Place the glasses separately in the rack and do not let the bowls touch, because clinking rims are still the most common cause of breakage. Rinse after washing if your water is hard and dry with a linen cloth.

If you want to see other models from the same manufacturer side by side, you will find them at Chef & Sommelier. If you often serve sparkling wine at the table, a champagne cooler keeps the bottle at temperature without you carrying it back and forth. And if you are looking for a glass without a stem for water and soft drinks, look further at the tumblers and the water glasses, which have the same sturdiness without a foot.