Inspired by the Blackbirds & Grapes motif designed by René Lalique in 1928 for the legendary Orient-Express, Lalique presents the Merlot collection, composed of a decanter and a universal glass, intended for the most demanding wine connoisseurs who wish to combine the beauty of the table with a perfect tasting. Functional and desirable, exceptional and yet a part of everyday living, these creations embody the desire to taste and understand wine, and the expressions of terroir. They celebrate the art of living and receiving. Trained as a jeweler at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in Paris in the late 1880's, Rene Lalique gained recognition as an independent designer for some of the era's great jewelry houses including Cartier and Boucheron. Eventually, he turned to glassmaking, and his techniques were a triumph for the Art Deco movement. Every piece of Lalique is finely detailed and produced by hand in Alsace, France.