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China & Glassware Defined

 red wine glasses; toasting with wine; glasses

Best Dressed Table: China & Glassware

There are three basic types of China: plates, bowls, and cups.

Plates

Dinner Plate: largest of the main plates, used for the entrée and salad, if there is no salad plate.

Luncheon Plate: slightly smaller, usually nine inches in diameter, used for lunches and dinners.

Service Plate or Charger:  decorative, larger than a dinner plate, used at formal dinners to hold the place setting.  

  • Removed when the first course arrives or after the first course is finished.  

Salad Plate:  smaller than dinner or luncheon plate, used for salad, first course, dessert, breakfast, or liner for bowl of soup.

Bowls

Cereal Bowl: round, deep, used for cereal and soups.

Sauce Bowl: small, shallow, and used for sauces, small servings, and separating servings of foods.

Cups and Saucers

Coffee or Teacup and Saucer: there is no ideal or correct size or shape.

Demitasse Cup and Saucer: much smaller than a regular coffee cup and used to serve espresso or strong coffee.

Glassware

Water Glass: usually the largest glass on the table.

Red Wine Glass: largest of the wine glasses and may be used for any wine.

White Wine Glass: smaller than the red wine glass and usually more tapered.

Sparkling Wine Glass:  flute, tall and narrow.  

  • Do not use a saucer-shaped glass for sparkling wine, it is used for sherbet, desserts, or seafood cocktails.

Placement

The water glass is placed above the point of the knife, slightly above this is the red wine glass, and to its right and slightly in front is the white wine glass.

Glasses Usually Used Before or After a Meal

Sherry Glass: smaller than a white wine glass, usually used as an aperitif.

Cordial Glass: small glass, usually used at the end of a meal.

Brandy Snifter: balloon-shaped glass, short stem.

  • A small amount of brandy is poured into the glass and swirled before drinking.

Cocktail Glass:  short-stemmed white wine glass or non-stemmed glass used for mixed cocktails.

Old-Fashioned Glass:  short six-ounce glass used for mixed drinks.

Beer/Pilsner Glass:  tall, flute shaped used for beer.

Continue:

Linens & Centerpieces

Fork, Spoon, & Knife

How Do I Eat That?


Excerpt From:

Entertaining Skills 101: The Etiquette of Entertaining Our Guests by Rebecca Black

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