Those Russians and their Champagne !

Champagne was extremely popular with the upper classes in Russia before the revolution. Cristal was a favorite of the Tsars. However today's version is a little different from what the Tsar had. The Champagne was likely quite sweet then, because this was the style most liked in Russia.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the current strange ratings of champagne, "Dry" actually being sweet, is a remnant of pre-revolutionary Russia when the idle rich liked to disguise their unsophisticated tastes for sweet wines. It was also stated that "Extra Dry" and "Brut" derive from this misuse of "Dry".