La Rochere Artois

The three models cover a table completely. The 22 cl wine glass is a short glass on a thick foot, meant for an everyday house wine rather than a big red that needs to breathe. The 28 cl water glass is a stemless tumbler and stands next to the plate. The 38 cl long drink is the tall one, and you use it for soft drinks, beer or a mixed drink.

Choose on the basis of what ends up on your table most often. If you want one size for everything, the 28 cl water glass is the most versatile: you can pour water, wine and juice into it without it looking out of place.

On a French table the water glass stands to the right above the knife, with the wine glass diagonally behind it. Fill the 22 cl wine glass to just under halfway, so there is room left over and the wine stays cool. It is a glass for simply pouring and drinking, not for extended tasting.

The 38 cl long drink comes into its own outdoors above all. Fill it with ice and pour in sangria, or build an aperol spritz in it with a slice of orange. The relief gives grip, even when the glass mists over.

Pressed glass is thick-walled, and that is exactly the point. The wall absorbs knocks a thin crystal glass would not survive, which makes the series suitable for outdoors, for children at the table and for a terrace. All three models are dishwasher safe.

With hard water, keep an eye on the relief: limescale settles in the grooves and becomes visible there sooner than on smooth glass. A rinse aid, or rinsing once with soft water, solves that. A scouring pad is unnecessary and leaves the wall dull.

More models from the same brand can be found at La Rochère, where the series with bees and with diamond motifs are gathered as well. If you would rather compare by shape, you will find similar tumblers among the water glasses and the tall models among the long drink glasses. A short bowl like the Artois also fits in the line-up of white wine glasses, where the sizes from 20 to 40 cl stand side by side.