If you’re looking for a
first-rate Champagne, you should buy a bottle of Cristal
from the Ideal Wine Company; a sparkling wine brand that’s steeped in
history, glamour and political intrigue.
Luxury vintage
No birthday, anniversary or
graduation is complete without a bottle Champagne. France’s signature sparkling
wine is the ultimate luxury vintage; it adds that little touch you need to turn any celebration into a special
occasion you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
No Champagne says ‘special
occasion’ quite like Cristal. Typically created from a heady mix of Pinot Noir
and Chardonnay grapes, this Champagne brand is often considered one of the
finest in the world. In part, this is because it has a fascinating and
compelling history that has shaped its unique character ever since it was
founded way back in the 19th Century.
Wine of the Tsars
Cristal was founded by Champagne
producer Louis Roederer in 1876, on the orders of Tsar Alexander II of Russia. This
led him to create what has since become known as Cristal Champagne; the first
‘prestige cuvee’ (blended wine of the highest quality), a vintage that was fit
for an Emperor.
The Russian autocrat ruled a very
unstable empire, and he feared that he would be assassinated at every turn; he
feared that enemies would use the Champagne to hide a bomb! With this in mind,
he demanded that Roederer store the Champagne in a bottle that was clear, so
that he could see the bubbles and drink in safety. This led the producer to
create Cristal’s distinctive clear, flat-bottomed bottle.
Pop culture Champagne
Since its creation, Cristal has
maintained its status as the ultimate luxury product; it wasn’t even
commercially available until 1945. It’s the 90’s where things get really
interesting.
The 90’s were the age of hip hop and rap
culture. Dance-pop and disco were dead, and urban artists such as Jay Z, Tupac
Shakur, Puff Daddy and Biggie Smalls ruled the airwaves. These music megastars
made a habit of referencing Cristal in their song lyrics, turning the brand
into pop culture phenomenon that’s lasted well into the 21st
Century. Today, we associate Cristal with fast cars, giant mansions and
mountains of cash; the jet set lifestyle.
Try Cristal
If this should tell you anything,
it’s that Cristal Champagne has always been associated with success, glamour
and luxury. If you want to find out why Cristal was the favoured brand of Tsars
and hip hop stars alike, why don’t you try one of the Ideal Wine Company’s
finest Cristals, the Louis
Roederer Cristal 2000, today?
