La Rochere Amboise

With textured glassware, the main question is whether it suits your tableware. Amboise has a distinctive character, so it works best on a plain table with simple earthenware and less well alongside floral tableware. Also consider the size: 26 cl is small for a wine glass, which means it is a glass to refill more often rather than one in which to let red wine breathe. The 23 cl water glass follows the same logic. If you want larger bowls, see the white wine glasses; for smooth table glasses, the water glasses are the place to look.

Place the water glass at the top right of the plate and the wine glass to its right, so that the pattern on both glasses remains visible from above. Fill the wine glass to just below halfway. The water glass is small enough to also serve as an aperitif glass, which is convenient when you are hosting guests at the table and do not want to start with a separate aperitif glass. For a kir royal the bowl is on the small side but usable, and you can easily pour a pitcher of sangria with lots of fruit from it because the pattern visually conceals the fruit.

Pressed glass from a factory that has been running since 1475 is thick-walled and sturdy, and Amboise takes the dishwasher without any trouble. The relief is where limescale and sugar residue collect, though; you notice it in the grooves sooner than on a smooth glass. Rinse briefly after sweet drinks before loading, and with hard water dry with a cloth afterwards.

The rest of this French factory is on the page for La Rochère. If you want to compare low glasses in other series, the tumbler glasses are the next place to look, and for a completely set table, see the glass sets. If you are looking for something to pour into them, the mocktails include alcohol-free recipes that fit this size.