Raise Your Glass: Top Ten Wine Glass Edit
My week didn't get off to the best start. Sitting down to work on Monday morning, I noticed that I had a Facebook business account message from someone called Will. Presuming Will was writing to me regarding his interest in interiors, I opened the message and discovered that he had, in fact, sent me a photograph of his penis. I immediately panicked, decided it was a penis style computer virus, blocked and reported him, but the image was already imprinted on my brain and there was nothing to be done. What was Will thinking when he decided to send me a photo of his penis? (don't answer that). Did he think, "it's Monday, let me just take a picture of my penis and send it to a married mother of three in her 40's, she'd LOVE to see it, it will absolutely make her day". Maybe he just has a huge ego? He certainly had a huge penis, although that's not really relevant. Tbh, I was mostly concerned about the fact that maybe I actually looked like the sort of person who would be sitting at her computer patiently waiting to receive a photograph of a penis.
Best holiday and best wine glasses (see Point 5).
This incident, combined with the realisation that Joe's brother is getting married in Latvia on Friday and I have a to do list which is seven pages long prior to departure, including such menial items as kitten care, travel insurance and lack of wedding outfits, has meant that I have opened more than one bottle of wine during the course of this week. The glug of the Sauvignon into glass has been echoing regularly throughout my kitchen.
I have a chequered history with glassware. In my opinion, the more expensive it is and thinner the stem, the more likely you are to break it within two weeks of purchase. It's like an unwritten law of glassware ownership. I have lost count of the number of gorgeous wine glasses I have destroyed. Joe's mum kindly bought me LSA champagne coupes for my birthday last year, which I had lusted after for years. Random fact: Did you know that champagne legend says that coupes were based on the shape of Marie Antoinette's left breast so that the Court could toast her health by drinking from glasses shaped like her bosom? Our friends from Reading came to visit and we had champagne in our bar before going out for dinner. Another random fact: Champagne coupes hold 250ml (a third of a bottle) in one glass. This could be a contributing factor as to why, when we returned later, our friend Neil (being super helpful) safely put the coupes on to a tray to bring out into the kitchen and promptly fell over the dog. All bar one were smashed to smithereens. Poor Neil.
This coconut really is the only type of drinks holder that my sister should be allowed to use.
Another surefire way that I usually destroy glassware is by putting it into the dishwasher. I hate washing up and don't do it unless absolutely necessary - I've been known to put the dishwasher on with only one oven tray and a tea cup inside. If it says Dishwasher Safe, for me it's a winner. Stackable on the top shelf gives extra points. I also come from a family of Kerman women who are incapable of safely placing wine glasses anywhere, even when sober. My sister Annabel is particularly bad and prone to hanging glassware off the edge of tables or worse, propping wine glasses on sofa arms and wandering off.
So when it came to picking out my ten favourite glasses for a celebratory tipple, there were a few boxes to tick. One, ability to fit in dishwasher. Two, likelihood of smashing. And most importantly, three, how gorgeous they look. Style over practicality wins every time, which is why I've included a couple of hand wash only but they are WELL worth it.
1. La Porcellana, La Rochere A'Beille £26.25 for six
These glasses are absolute classics. It's the best selling range of the French glass factory, La Rochere, a company founded in 1475. They're embossed with the Napoleon symbol of l'abeille, the bee and signify the countryside of the South of France. I gave my sister the champagne version for her birthday and they are gorgeous with chunky stems which make them the ideal glass for Annabel. A solid investment.
2. Made.com, Chaumont Red Wine Glass £18 for four
Now, these ARE thin stemmed but they're not too fragile and the perfect glass to enjoy a nice Merlot. Made.com have the most amazing dining products including tableware and crockery and these fab glasses are super reasonably priced. Brilliant for every day use and sturdy enough to not worry too much about accidental snapping.
3. Maisons Du Monde, Maison D'hôtes £23.99 for six
I have to admit that I LOVE French style glasses. These make me feel like I should be sitting outside a little French bistro on brown rattan cafe seats smoking Gauloise. These come in a set of six in a carry basket and tick many boxes for me, including dishwasher stackable and proper chunky stems. Virtually unbreakable in my book and a really economical yet stylish buy.
4. John Lewis, Tom Dixon TANK £65 a pair
These are my total wish list glasses. Mouth blown and ornamented with hand painted copper detailing, they are glasses for life and a statement piece. These definitely fall into the hand wash nicely, don't dream of putting them anywhere near a dishwasher, category. Immediately identifiable as Tom Dixon, they look super cool and are an excellent talking point. An investment purchase and the dream.
5. LSA, Elina Wine Glass £38 a pair
These are my all time favourite wine glasses. Ten years ago, Joe and I went on holiday with my Mum and Dad to a really cool cottage on St Andrews Street in St Ives. It was an amazing place and beautifully furnished, with glass balconies on each floor overlooking St Ives Bay where we'd watch seals whilst sipping wine out of these lovelies. My Dad googled for days to find the exact glasses when we returned and we each bought a set of six to remind us of what a great time we'd had. My Dad passed away not long after but my Mum still has her and my Dad's set of six. Needless to say, I have only one left. And that's despite these glasses having the chunkiest stems EVER. I am truly shocking.
6. House Of Fraser, Lustre Crystal £25 for four
These beauties are in my winning list due to the fact they are gorgeous shades of pastel, a fact that also means you are unlikely to drink someone else's wine in error. They'd be a brilliant addition to your dinner party and look really effective in a table setting. Another non top shelf dishwasher stacker but these are well worth the time and effort to hand wash.
7. Made In Design, Pols Potten Cuttings £65.26 for four
I'm a huge fan of Pols Potten, the Amsterdam brand which has been around since 1986. They are super innovative and I love these etched glasses, each with a different design. The stem is chunky and I love the fact they are all individual which gives them almost a vintage look. They also come in colours at a slightly higher price point. Again, they'd look fab in a dinner table setting.
8. Habitat, Picardie Tumbler £10.50 for six
These glasses and I are a match made in heaven. If you've visited France on holiday, you'll know that these traditional little Picardie glasses are often used for wine drinking and are a ridiculously practical choice. Excellent price, solid, dishwasher proof and stackable, plus virtually impossible to break unless you actually drop them on a concrete floor. Which I have done. Everyone needs a set of these.
9. Rockett St George, Cut Glass Goblet £6.95 each
Now, these lovelies combine the best of both worlds. Virtually non existent stem combined with the beauty of cut glass patterning makes them a perfect choice for your glass of Pinot. Tactile to hold and stylish to look at, these goblets are a good medium priced buy, plus they can be multi tasked for water or any other drink that takes your fancy.
10. Urban Outfitters, Marble Stemless £14 a pair
Urban Outfitters do a few of these stem free wine glasses but these are my top pick. Tactile to hold and in on trend marble, these are a practical buy that will tick the dishwasher shelf box and the style box in one fail swoop. No stem means that they are safe even for Kerman family members. If marble isn't your thing, they stock them in cactus and pineapple prints too. A good choice.
So that's my top ten wine worthy glassware edit. They're a mixed bag of prices, but I think that I would be willing to take the hand wash challenge if I was lucky enough to have one of these bad boys to drink my rose from this Summer. Happy wine drinking and may your glasses always be sturdy.