Flute

For sparkling wines, I like small flutes with quite short stems – they’re about 150ml (5fl oz) in volume. The glasses made by the Zalto glassware company are amazing – they have a really fine glass and an elegant shape and I like them because of how they feel in your hand. Sadly they are very expensive.

Although many consider that the flute’s design makes it perfect for drinking champagne, I read a scientific paper recently saying that this isn’t true at all – their smaller surface concentrates the bubbles which go straight up your nose and destroy the aroma of the drink. Wine glasses would apparently be better. But people’s perception of what they expect to be drinking out of plays a huge part in their enjoyment of the drink. I can imagine getting some strange looks if I started serving champagne in a wine glass.