RCR Opera

The bowls are 16 and 23 cl, which is compact by modern standards: Opera is a classic series and those bowls are meant to be filled up, not to swirl wine in. The tumblers run from 21 to 30 cl, with a 35 cl long drink glass above them. Bubbles go in the narrow 13 cl flute or the 24 cl coupe. For a nip there is a 6 cl shot glass and a 6 cl stemmed liqueur glass. If you want to be done in one go, there is an eighteen-piece glassware set that combines bowls, champagne glasses and tumblers.

Start the evening with the 13 cl flute, narrow enough to hold on to the bubbles for a long time in, say, a kir royal. At the table the 16 and 23 cl bowls go round, and after the meal the carafes appear: one of 90 cl for wine and one of 75 cl for spirits. From the latter you pour into the 30 cl tumbler, the size in which an old fashioned with a single block of ice fits exactly.

Luxion is lead-free and therefore harder than traditional crystal, so it scratches less easily and can simply go in the dishwasher. The pitfall lies in the cutting: soap and limescale stay behind in the deep facets, and that is what makes the pattern look grey over time. Short programme, rinse well, and polish dry with a lint-free cloth before the water can dry on.

If you want a quieter or a more robust pattern within this same brand, all the series are lined up at RCR. To compare the tumblers with heavier models from other brands, look at the whiskey glasses. The wide bowl for sparkling wine sits alongside other brands under the champagne coupe glasses. And if wine is left in the carafe, a wine stopper seals it until the next day.