beibei1

A toast to you

glassware "It's important to have a water glass or water goblet that can alsobe used for iced tea," said Liz Dejean of Liz Dejean Interiors.

That's the bare minimum, but there can be more on the table.

"In a formal setting, glasses can number up to five," Dejean said.

For very special occasions, a champagne flute is a nice touch.

"Every Christmas, my daughters give me a pair of champagne glassesand the next year, I use them to toast the holiday," she said.

Dejean is a proponent of mixing and matching tableware andglassware pieces to add interest to a table setting, so the glassesdon't all have to be in the same style.

Glassware comes in a variety of price ranges, from variety storeprices to the very high end.

"The higher end crystal, such as Baccara and Waterford, are veryrevered possessions that can be passed down to generations. Itmight be cut crystal, colored crystal, even with 14 karat goldbanding. They are truly works of art," Dejean said.

But attractive glassware can be found at any price. Riedel, ahigher-end manufacturer, offers a wide price range, for instance.

"Trydel did a line for Target," Dejean said. "It can be obtainedfor a lesser price."

Wine glasses number among the pieces that should be in the kitchencabinets.

Red wine glasses are shaped differently from white wine glasses.That's not an arbitrary rule, but one that came out ofpracticality.

"The stem of a white wine glass is taller than red wine glasses.That is because the white wine glass should be held by the stem andnot the bowl, because normally, white wine is served chilled, andthe heat of the hand affects the wine," Dejean said.

European wine glasses are in vogue, Dejean said. These resemblejuice glasses.

"Juice glasses aren't used too often, anymore," Dejean said. "Ithink in days gone by, breakfast was served and everyone sat at thetable and ate breakfast."

In today's fast-paced world with staggered schedules, breakfast isoften something that is caught on the fly and formally setbreakfast tables are almost a thing of the past.

"That's why when you go to flea markets, you do find a lot of setsof juice glasses - but those can also double as European wineglasses."

And that's a good place to shop for glassware at a good price,Dejean said.

"When looking for glassware, there are great finds of Depressionglass that can be mixed and matched. And there are parfait glassesthat can be mixed and matched as wine glasses or dessert vessels,"Dejean said.

While coffee cups aren't, strictly speaking, glassware, they areused to serve an important after-dinner beverage. The cup andsaucer may be placed on the table as part of the service.

"But, it is perfectly good etiquette to clear the table and bringcoffee to the table on a tray or it can be in a certain place whereyour gets can get coffee while you're preparing to serve dessert,"Dejean said.

If your guests' tastes tend toward the sophisticated, be sure toinvest in martini glasses, Dejean said.

Dejean also recommends asking guests whether they prefer theircoffee in a cup or a mug.

And even if they don't, you can give more plebeian beverages anelegant treatment.

"I prefer to serve beer in a crystal or glass mug," Dejean said.