Eclat Ultime

Here the size matters more than the shape. The 28 cl glass is meant for white wine: small enough to keep the wine cold down to the last sip. The 38 cl bowl is the all-rounder for light reds and full-bodied whites. At 42 and 47 cl you get a proper Burgundy shape, in which 12 cl of wine still leaves well over half the bowl empty so the aroma can gather. Anyone who takes red wine seriously picks the largest; for a laid table the 28 and 38 cl make a fine pair.

Do not pour beyond the widest point of the bowl, about one third full. Turn the glass by the foot and not by the bowl, because the thin wall passes the warmth of your hand straight on to the wine. With young reds, half an hour in a decanter does more than swirling in the glass. The 21 cl champagne glass is wider than a classic flute and therefore suits a French 75, where you want to smell the gin and lemon alongside the bubbles.

Thin rims are the weak spot of this series. Always place the bowls apart from each other in the dishwasher and use a cycle without a long drying phase, because hot air leaves limescale on smooth glass. Wash the models with a gold rim by hand: gold does not tolerate aggressive detergent and will otherwise go dull within a few cycles. Drying them off with a linen cloth rather than cotton prevents lint and streaks.

If you want the same shape in a sturdier version, take a look at the other series from Eclat. To compare on capacity, all the sizes are gathered under large wine glasses and white wine glasses, and the full overview by shape is at wine glasses. A decanter completes the set. And for the festive option with the 21 cl champagne glass, the recipe for a Bellini is ready and waiting.