Schott Zwiesel Fortissimo

Start with the wine you pour most often. For powerful red wine with firm tannins the 73 cl bowl is the logical choice: the wide belly gives air and the narrow rim keeps the aroma in. The 63.2 cl bordeaux glass is slimmer and steers the wine further back on the tongue, which suits cabernet.

If you drink white wine more often, 40.4 cl is roomy enough to swirl without the wine warming up. The 50 cl red bowl is the all-rounder if you only want one size, and the 24 cl flute holds the bubbles for a long time because the opening stays small.

Pour up to the widest point of the bowl, no higher. With the 73 cl glass that works out at about a third full, which feels mean until you notice how much easier swirling becomes. Serve red wine at around sixteen degrees and white wine cooler, around eight to ten degrees.

Always pick the glass up by the stem. That is not etiquette but temperature control: a hand around the bowl noticeably warms the wine within a few minutes.

Fortissimo is made from Tritan crystal glass, with titanium and zirconium in the melt instead of lead. That makes the bowl stronger at the stem and at the rim, and the glass stays clear rather than clouding over time.

All the glasses are dishwasher safe. Place them separately, do not let them touch and use a programme that does not exceed sixty degrees. Letting them drip dry on a cloth leaves fewer streaks than polishing.

If you want to see the whole brand, have a look at Schott Zwiesel. If you prefer to browse by type of wine, the red wine glasses and the white wine glasses are listed separately, and for even more capacity there are the large wine glasses. The flutes are gathered together with the champagne flutes. If you would rather pour something mixed with bubbles, read the recipe for a kir royal or a mimosa.