La Réserve Magazine Rethinking Luxury

AN ALCHEMIST'S DREAM

Sand and fire… Like that used for wine, the recipe for glass has been known to humankind since the dawn of time. Amongst the major phases in this age-old history was the invention of the blown glass technique by the Phoenicians, which made it possible to create utensils and recipients. Later on, during the Middle Ages, the development of flat panes using cylinder blown sheet or crown glass techniques paved the way for the art of stained glass, magnified in cathedrals from Chartres to Notre Dame de Paris. In the Renaissance, Venetian glassworks were renowned for their clear “cristallo” glass, which was our crystal’s ancestor, and Venice remained a reference for two centuries. The journey continued in Bohemia, on the edge of Germany and the Czech Republic, where master glassmakers manufactured very fine glass that was very easy to engrave and remains a major reference to this day. 

CRYSTAL MADE IN ENGLAND

The invention of crystal was officially English and dates back to the 17^th century. The British guarded the secret jealously for over a century. As luck would have it, fate intervened and necessity knows no law. At the time, the English admiralty banned the use of wood to burn in favor of it being used to build warships. The English glassmakers kept their ovens going with charcoal but the carbon monoxide gave the glass an ugly brown color. They came up with the idea of adding lead oxide which accelerates the fusion. A miracle! The result was glass featuring remarkable radiance and exceptional sound quality. Thus the crystal made by crystal manufacturers bears no resemblance to rock crystal, aside from its luster. The term crystal refers to a particular quality of blown glass, which contains 24 to 40 % lead. Rediscovered in France around 1781, crystal made the decorative arts sparkle thanks to the talent of the skilled artisans plying their trade for the large crystal manufacturers such as Saint-Louis, Baccarat, Sèvres and Daum. Enhanced by cutting and gilding, cut glass crystal plays on shapes and colors to enthrall amateurs fascinated by this level of exquisite delicacy.

TASTING POINT

Crystal and wine form an inseparable pair and have found their way through history together, a history which is still being written, since the crystal of yesteryear has a high lead content that does not meet today’s health standards. The big crystal manufacturers have adapted to meet the new directives and perfected modern materials that combine beauty and safety, because cut glass crystal remains unbeatable in the eyes of oenologists. Its thinness and colorless transparency provide a perfect receptacle for wines and afford the possibility of admiring their unaltered colors. Less than a millimeter thick, a crystal glass is imperceptible on the lips and allows the wine to unfurl slowly.

TALKING POINT

While crystal has the chic look required to enhance wine, the shape of the glass also plays a key role. Some manufacturers have opted to focus on the connection between the shape of the container and the taste rendered by the contents. This is the case for Maison Riedel as well as for the Cristallerie Royale de Champagne. According to this principle, every kind of wine should have a particular glass designed for it that will enhance its specificities: fruity taste, acidity, mineral components, tannins or alcohol. There is no question of sacrificing function in favor of aesthetics. Burgundy, old or young Bordeaux, Chianti, Brunello, Barolo: according to the specialists, the same wine can offer a completely different organoleptic experience depending on the glass being used. It’s all a question of physics and chemistry…

By Anne-Marie Clerc

Photos:©Cristallerie Royale de Champagne

Baccarat “Crystal Legend” exhibition commemorating the 250^th anniversary of the company. Until January 4^th 2015 at the Petit-Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris