Created by Etienne Grangeon 70 years ago, the property originally comprised 2 hectares of Grenache. It was developed further by the driving force of his son Alain, who joined the domaine in 1963. Passionate about viticulture, he notably contributed to the expansion of the domaine and planted improved grape varieties such as Syrah and Mourvèdre and created the identity of Cristia, based on the knowledge and respect of its soils. Then, in 1999, Baptiste and Dominique joined their father. Their priorities were to concentrate on selecting the best parcels in order to produce a wine of a great quality, with a good ageing potential, to commercialise in France as well as for export.

Saint-Joseph, in France's northern Rhône Valley, is comfortably the region's largest appellation in terms of geographical coverage. The appellation title covers both red wine made mainly from Syrah, and white wine made from Marsanne and Roussanne blended in varying proportions. The terroirs of Saint-Joseph vary considerably in the 30 miles (50km) the appellation covers along the Rhone valley. The best sites are set on primary rock formations, consisting of gneiss, granite and mica-rich schist, while others are set on limestone outcrops, or the alluvial soils of ancient glacial terraces. These soils each bring their own characteristics to the wines produced from them.