The world-renowned Cristal Champagne brand, the bubbles of choice for rappers and footballers, is aiming to take the fizz out of one UK wine maker after they picked a similar name for their plonk.
Renegade Urban Winery is based on an industrial estate in Walthamstow, East London, and has received a letter from representatives of Louis Roederer, the famed French winery based in the the capital of the Champagne region, Reims.
Their solicitors have claimed that the UK producer’s use of the name Crystal on their fizzy pink wine has infringed the bubbly behemoth’s brand.
They have also accused the English small batch producer of ‘passing off’, and damaged Cristal’s reputation with drinkers, according to industry drinks magazine Decanter.
Warwick Smith Renegade’s founder was shocked to receive the legal letter.
“It was never our intention to copy or pass ourselves off as Cristal,’ he said.
“We admire and respect the great work of Champagne houses such as Louis Roederer. We are keen to resolve this amicably with Louis Roederer and their lawyers.”
He added that the bottles were “completely different” and the brand names had very different pronunciations.
He then explained that Renegade’s wine is named after a genuine individual named Crystal, who happened to be a fashion student in London back in 2018.
She agreed to have her face featured on the label, which is part of the company’s normal method of naming wines after their fans. Other wines from Renegade include Maria, Jamie and Alf.
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Smith never considered the possibility of any confusion with Cristal Champagne, with his version’s £26 price tag putting it firmly on a different shelf to the more establised – and expensive – variety.
Cristal stands as one of the world’s most luxurious Champagnes, often costing more than £300 per bottle. This unique blend of pinot noir and chardonnay was initially crafted in 1876 to cater to the preferences of Tsar Alexander II. However, it gained recognition in early 2000s rap lyrics as a symbol of opulence.
Nevertheless, the brand encountered a ‘hip-hop’ boycott when Jay-Z decided to exclude the champagne cuvée from his 40/40 Club in 2006.
This decision came in response to comments made by the then managing director of Cristal, Frédéric Rouzaud, which seemed to imply disapproval of the champagne’s inclusion in his rap lyrics.
