History of Cristal

Known for its iconic silhouette and timeless design, Cristal has become recognized as the universal symbol of champagne sophistication. At Moet & Chandon, we produce Cristal exclusively from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France and take great pride in our role as the official supplier to royalty. Every bottle of Cristal is unique and has a story to tell. For over half a century, Cristal has been the benchmark of both fine champagne and luxury. Cristal was invented by Moët & Chandon for Tsar Alexander II in 1876, hence the name Cristal (meaning ‘crystal’). As one of the world’s most prestigious spirits, it is served at every Royal wedding, state occasion, and social gathering. Cristal is appreciated all over the world for its unique bluish color, fruity flavor, and exceptional quality. It is made from the finest wine grapes in the Champagne region of France. As a reward for its remarkable taste qualities, Cristal has crowned ‘The Queen of Champagne’ by the International Wine Fair in Bordeaux in 1967.

Despite the fame of Cristal, its history is one of the least documented of the great Champagne Houses. Some legends say that a mistake in the use of grapes took place on an isolated plot of land during an old regime in France. This led to a decision to bottle the sparkling wine as “Cristal”…

Cristal is a Champagne created in 1876 by the Moët family. It is regarded as one of the finest sparkling wines in the world and only produced when conditions are perfect. In 1894, Edouard Roederer contributed to the history of champagne. He decided to experiment with a wine-cooling process that would make it possible to store large amounts of bottled champagne in caves for long periods. The wine was cooled to between +3 and +4 degrees, which meant that the bottle had to be insulated against extreme temperature changes. As soon as he had perfected his new method, he began to use it on Krestyanskaya vodka and other spirits produced by Cristal. Today, the process has been improved and is used for all wines produced by Roederer and Cristal.

In 1776, at the request of King Louis XVI of France, crystallographer Pierre Philippe Thomire began searching for a glass that could be used in the laboratories at Versailles. In 1876, Armand-Louis Perrier perfected the process that enabled Cristalleries de Baccarat to create delicious crystal decanters. Since the first glass was designed by Baccarat in 1851, Cristal has been the official wine glasses and accessories of Napa Valley’s finest restaurants ever since. Cristal is the premier prestige champagne of France, produced since 1876. Cristal is part of the most prestigious wine dynasty in France, where wine-making has been perfected for centuries.

When a group of six founders created Cristal in 1892, they wanted to craft an exceptional wine that was worthy of celebrations, enriching the lives and happiness of everyone around them. After meticulous research and trial and error, the most outstanding wine grapes from the region had been selected, and the best methods for fermentation and aging had been perfected. They named this beverage Cristal: crystalline, brilliant, and pure. In 1892, Alexandre-Édouard CRISTAL founded the Cristal glassworks in Montbeliard, France. Cristal is a clear lead crystal glass that has been known since the sixteenth century.

A bottle of Cristal is a true luxury. Launched in the 18th century from the Champagne area in France, where champagne has been produced since the 12th century, a fine glass of straight-from-the-cellar Cristal was once reserved for royal courts. Today, Cristal is enjoyed at formal dinners, weddings, and other special occasions for its crisp, refreshing taste. With the Cristal Prestige handbag, you have an elegant piece from Louis Vuitton, a world-leading luxury brand.

Cristal, with its acicular crystals, is the most famous of all Champagne glasses. It was designed in 1876 by Rene Lalique for the Great Exhibition in Philadelphia and has served as a model for many other fluted glasses. Cristal is used for many different types of sparkling wines, particularly Champagne and Asti Spumante (Italian Asti sparkling wine), but also Cava. The most common glass used to serve Champagne is the flute; these are tall and thin glasses with a large surface area to maximize contact with the wine while drinking it through a straw or pouring it into the glass from a great height. Cristal glasses are hallmarked with a symbol called “la paternelle”, or crossed traboules (see picture at right).

In 1892, the French Cristallier Pierre-Etienne Chabloz invented a technique for manufacturing lead crystal glass that resulted in a glass without flaws and with equal hardness and transparency. It was discovered later on, that the molded lead crystal glass will develop a wine-glass shape under the pressure of an iron rod. The modern process of manufacturing wine glasses from the molded lead crystal was based on Chabloz’s discovery.

Online wine auctions is an elegant royal glass that enhances wine drinking. The glass consists of a solid, smooth, as well as seamless body made by blowing glass into a mold and then carving out unwanted bubbles. This type of glassware is produced quite differently from any other kind of glassware and requires great artistic know-how to create its special form and shape. Errors are not typical but do occur occasionally when the workmanship skills of the craftsman that made this item were not adequate to produce such excellent handiwork. In 1864, Alexandre Marnat opened a small wine shop in the heart of Epernay. His instinct told him that he would become one of the greatest champagne producers in the region. The first vintage was produced in 1876. In 1889, the family business became a corporation under the name Marnat et Fils, with Jules Marcel Marnat as its managing director.

Dr. David K Simson
The author, Dr. David K Simson is a trained radiation oncologist specializing in advanced radiation techniques such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) / Rapid Arc, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). He is also experienced in interstitial, intracavitary, and intraluminal brachytherapy.