Parties for celebrities, royalty and financiers often feature Cristal as the toasting champagne. Cristal is Louis Roederer Champagne's prestige label.
It made its debut in 1876 when Tsar Alexander II requested the champagne house to produce a cuvée for his exclusive use. During that time of political instability, extra security measures were taken by the Russian imperial court: the champagne came in a transparent bottle so any poison would be visible, and instead of having the usual punt, the bottom of this bottle was flat so that nothing could be concealed.
The champagne was officially released to the public in 1945. Modern packaging includes the use of orange cellophane wrapping to protect the wine from ultraviolet rays.
Louis Roederer was established in 1776 and remains a family business. It is now run by sixth-generation scion Frederic Rouzard.
The company's vice-president, Michel Janneau, says the French region of Champagne produces about 330 million bottles a year. Still, with a total production of about 3.2 million bottles, Louis Roederer is considered a medium-sized company.
Cristal is expensive and has a reputation for exclusivity, but there are plenty of other more affordable champagnes from the Roederer portfolio.