Stolzle Ultra crystal stemware

The Stolzle Ultra range at Hospitality Connect covers six lines. It includes wine glasses in white, red and Bordeaux shapes, a champagne flute and a beer glass, so one design can cover wine, sparkling and beer service.

A Bordeaux glass is a tall stemmed wine glass with a bowl that narrows towards the rim. The height gives a structured red wine room to open as it is swirled, and the taper directs the aroma up towards the drinker.

The narrow bowl of a flute reduces the surface area where bubbles escape, so sparkling wine keeps its bead through the pour and the drink stays lively. The height also lets the bubbles rise visibly, which is part of the presentation.

Stemmed beer glasses are used where the style benefits from the drinker holding the stem rather than warming the bowl. Standard pot, schooner and pint glasses remain the norm for high-volume bar service because they stack and rack more easily.

Two or three shapes cover most wine lists: a narrower glass for white, a larger bowl for red, and a flute or narrow tulip for sparkling. More shapes mean more glassware behind the bar and more chance of the wrong glass reaching the table.