Paşabahçe Allegra

The wine glasses come in 35 and 49 cl. The 35 cl is the size for white wine: a smaller surface, so the wine warms up more slowly while you drink. The 49 cl is meant for red, with enough air above the wine to let the aromas come out without overfilling the glass; pour a bowl like that to about a third. The champagne flute of 19.5 cl is narrow and tall, so the bubbles rise in a straight line and keep coming for longer. The tumbler of 42.5 cl is the only one without a foot and covers water and soft drinks. The difference with the Focus version is in the shape of the bowl, not in the capacity.

The advantage of a complete series is that you can switch glasses per course without the table looking cluttered. Put the 35 cl to the left of the 49 cl and the tumbler above and to the right of the plate, and the setting follows the usual arrangement. The 19.5 cl flute is the size for the start of the evening. An Aperol Spritz is too big for it and belongs in a large wine glass, but a Mimosa with orange juice and prosecco fits it exactly. Keep sparkling wine cold until you pour, and fill the flute in two goes so the foam can settle in between.

Allegra is made from soda-lime glass, not crystal. That means slightly less brilliance, but also that the glass is slower to go dull from hard water or detergent. The whole series is dishwasher safe. The thing to watch is the stem: it is thin and almost always breaks when glasses tap against each other as the basket turns. So place them apart in the rack. When washing by hand, hold the bowl rather than the foot.

The full range from this manufacturer is at Pasabahce, where several series in the same bracket sit side by side. If you are after a roomier bowl than the 49 cl from this range, those start at the large wine glasses. And anyone who would rather have a ready-made set in one box than gather separate sizes should look at the glassware sets, where the complete combinations are listed.