Cristal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cristal is the name of a prestigious Champagne produced by Louis Roederer that is easily recognized by its clear ("crystal") bottle, anti-UV cellophane wrapper, and gold label. It was first created in 1876 for Alexander II of Russia, according to legend because the tsar was afraid of assassins concealing weapons inside an ordinary opaque wine bottle. It has been used as a status symbol by rappers, who make frequent reference to it in their music, also calling it "cris" or "crissy". A typical price in the U.S. is $350 or more [1] for a bottle. In the UK, prices are around £200 per bottle.
[edit] Rap controversy
In 2006, asked by The Economist about whether associations with rap stars could affect the marque, new managing director Frederic Rouzaud said "That's a good question, but what can we do? We can't forbid people from buying it. I'm sure Dom Pérignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business." Since the release of this statement, rapper and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z has decided to boycott the product in his personal life and various clubs he owns claiming that the views expressed were racist. Both P. Diddy and Jay-Z have said "Fuck Cris" on their newest albums. In an ensuing statement, Rouzaud has since expressed that Cristal's longevity as a business can be attributed to its willingness to embrace "...all cultures- including Hip-Hop." This makes a startling contrast to his comments, where he mentioned that he viewed the Hip-Hop culture with "curiosity and serenity"- a comment made directly by Rouzaud, while the "unwelcome attention" comment can be attributed to the reporter.[2].
