Paris, France — Wine drinking has become more French than ever with a new, exciting wine glass from the celebrated glass-making house of Lalique. The clear crystal glass, conceived for tasting not only whites, rosés, reds and sweet wines but champagnes as well, is called 1er Cru. The French term premier cru refers to wines that are recognized for their exceptional quality. The wine glass bowl is straight so as to better unleash the wine’s aromas while the base is concave to offer better oxygenation. Meanwhile its soaring stem accentuates the ease of drinking the wine. The base is decorated with a swallow in a nod to René Lalique’s drawings accompanied by the emblematic manuscript signature of the Maison. The wine glass embodies the rich glassmaking traditions of Lalique and brings French table arts to new heights

“The refined silhouette of this glass enhances aeration, allowing the aromas to unfold with grace and precision. Its light, distinctive bowl perfectly suited for both youthful and aged wines reveals the full depth and texture of each vintage in all its complexity,” commented renowned sommelier Romain Iltis, Best Sommelier of France 2012, and wine director at Lalique Hospitality. The wine glass is available in Lalique boutiques and on-line. 


The house of Lalique was founded in 1888 by René Lalique and the house remains one of the crown jewels of France’s crystal glass industry. Mr. Lalique was a pioneer of modern jewelry before becoming a master glassmaker. And the house remains a symbol of unique knowhow and art and design excellence. The Lalique manufacture is in the town of Wingen-sur-Moder in Alsace where the first stoves were fired in 1922 and it remains to this day the only place in the world where Lalique crystal is made. Lalique know-how has received the prestigious label of Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Enterprise, or EPV), a label of distinction awarded by the French State to recognize French firms for the excellence of their traditional and industrial skills.©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette. http://www.lalique.com/en