It’s the new Prosecco – but so much nicer and without the hefty Champagne price tag

When there’s something to celebrate, are a natural choice.

There’s always an occasion that calls for something a little bit special with a fizz. Whether it’s a birthday, Christmas or New Year, or even just the end of a long week you’re sure to find bubbles in someone’s glass. Popping the cork on a is a theatrical and memorable way to start any celebration.

First we loved Cava, then Prosecco and English sparkling wines are certainly enjoying a surge in popularity too.

But the latest favourite fizz to pop on the palate of UK drinkers is special because it actually tastes like Champagne – and it looks like Champagne but at a fraction of the cost.

This new fizzy favourite that has knocked Prosecco off its perch and even comes in at a lower price point that the popular Italian tipple we’ve been knocking back for years.

UK retailers report that sales of the French Crémant sales are up 51% year-on-year.

In fact at Christmas and New Year, Aldi shoppers were only permitted to buy two bottles of its Crémant de Loire per person to prevent running out of stock.

Priced at just £4.99 per bottle in some cases this fashionable fizz from France is flying off shelves as consumers who like a sparkling wine are looking for something different and affordable.

Crémant is a sparkling wine made in seven regions in France. Crémant d’Alsace, Crémant de Bourgogne, Crémant de Die, Crémant de Loire, Crémant du Jura, Crémant de Bourdeaux and Crémant de Limoux.

A big part of the reason for Cremants growing popularity is that, unlike Prosecco, it is made in the Champagne style, giving it a depth and richness of flavor. And, it comes in at a much lower price point making it great for all occasions!

Diane Ringler of of mycuratedtastes.com said: “Cremants are often described as creamy. You still get the bubbles but it is subtler than traditional Champagne and much “softer” than the Italian Prosecco.

Crémant is made from a variety of grapes, including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir (of course,) but also Pinot Gris and Gamay and it is made in the Champagne style.

Prosecco, on the other hand, has to be made from a minimum of 85% Glera grape, which is a type of Italian grape, which ripens fairly late in the year and has a sort of straw­color.

The production methods for Crémant and Champagne are similar, but there are important differences in the way they are made compared to Prosecco which is made using the Charmat or Tank Method.

Prosecco undergoes the secondary fermentation process in large tanks. In this method sugar and yeast are added to the base wine, which is then put into a stainless steel pressure tank for the secondary fermentation. As the yeast eats the sugar and ferments it releases CO2 which causes the tank to pressurise. Since the pressure has nowhere to go, it carbonates the wine. This process can be as short as 30 days. And there you have it…a sparkling wine!

But according to the experts at burgundywine.com, unlike Prosecco, Crémant (and Champagne) undergo its second fermentation in the bottle. Ageing time for Cremant is significantly longer than Prosecco. Crémant aged for a generous 24 months is labelLed as ‘Eminent’, and even longer for the ‘Grand Eminents.’

Due to this process it tends to have more depth and richness than many Proseccos and has toasty overtones like those found in good Champagne. As the name suggests, Crémant has something quite ‘creamy’ about it, and is a little softer than Prosecco. It’s also versatile, making a great aperitif or a complement to a main meal. Rosé pairs well with sweet desserts like ice cream or red fruit tarts, and you can add some cassis for a sweeter drink.

Crémant wines can come from any of seven different regions in France, not just Burgundy, such as Crémant d’Alsace or Crémant de Bordeaux. Around 400 communes in the region produce Cremant de Bourgogne.

It also comes in different varieties: blanc, blanc de blanc, blanc de noirs, and rosé. The rosé variety is particularly interesting and is growing in popularity, similar to the rise of prosecco rosé, due to its relative sophistication.

Cremant is a lot cheaper than Champagne but tends to give you less of a headache than Prosecco can. It has soft bubbles, is super refreshing and not too sweet.

And while Prosecco is typically the least expensive, Cremant, is sometimes even cheaper in UK supermarkets so offers great value

In fact the name ‘Crémant’ is derived from the French word ‘cremeux’, which means creamy. So cheers to that!