As Hot Plates was out foraging today for various and sundry household items, we came across this must-have for three-season patio dwellers: attractive polycarbonate wine glasses. We found these at our local Target, but they are available online in a four-pack. Those are the bigger ones, meant for red; they also have a white-wine variety and an all-purpose kind.

These are far nicer than any others we have seen in years past and are perfect for that yard party you think might get just a wee bit too rowdy for real glass. They are many steps above big, red, plastic keg cups, which may be the only thing you’re not afraid to set out, but those are really uncool unless you actually have a keg on hand.

Since you’re probably serving decent wine, your guests might as well drink it from a semi-elegant glass. Don’t let that lingering, inebriated guest sweet-talk her way into using one of your Riedels. With pretty plastic, you’ll have no more worries about breakage when revelers start rolling each other down the front lawn in the Radio Flyer.

Crate & Barrel has an acrylic-glassware section that also has some nice options, including one for red and one for white. It’s also worth looking at the C&B Outlet, which has stemless acrylic and some other choices as well.

Amazon has these acrylic all-purpose stemmed glasses, which are OK but not so pretty, and they also have a perfectly fine stemless option which is temporarily out of stock. The thing we have noted with plastic patio-ware: it sells out quickly. Just try and find this stuff on shelves in June.