Summer party season will soon be upon us and for sheer mood-lifting exuberance nothing comes close to a glass of bubbles. Of course, if your budget allows you can indulge your guests in a some elegant champagne. But to be honest, at a drinks party when it’s all smiles, the wine isn’t the focus and there are plenty of alternatives that won’t require a second mortgage.
Personally, although I enjoy prosecco it can be too sweet. Cava, which is made in the same way as champagne with a secondary fermentation in the bottle, albeit with different grape varieties, can be very good but unfairly some of your guests may recoil when they see the label. A better choice is France’s other fizz, crémant, a dry sparkling wine, made everywhere outside Champagne, that’s enjoying a boom. The wine buyers at Waitrose report that crémant represents its biggest growth area for fizz, with sales up 19 per cent compared with last spring. And there is plenty of it, with more than 5,000 producers making about 60 million bottles a year. To put that into context, England in a good year makes 12 million bottles of sparkling wine.
Produced in the same way as champagne, crémant is prominent in Alsace, the Loire, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Jura, Savoie, Limoux and the Rhône, where it is named “de Die”. There are a range of styles using several grape varieties, but they tend to be a little lighter and fresher, with more zippy fruit and white apple, than champagne. One good example is The Best Crémant de Limoux from Morrisons, which at £12.25 is an affordable way to add some sparkle to your evening.
Extra Special Crémant d’Alsace Brut (12%)
Asda, £9.36
Refreshing and light with reviving spring notes of apple and pear, this is a classically vibrant Alsatian crémant.
Louis Couturier Crémant de Bordeaux Brut Rosé (11.5%)
Tesco, £10
This blend of the red grapes cabernet franc and merlot hits the spot with its fruitiness and cool crispness.
Étoile de Timberlay Crémant de Bordeaux (11.5%)
M&S, £10
A cracking fizz from a blend of Bordeaux varieties that marries biscuity, brioche flavours with a zesty finish of red apple.
Bouvet Ladubay Saumur Brut (12.5%)
Majestic, £14
The family-owned Bouvet estate in the Loire makes delightful, stylish bubbles with clean, zippy notes of apple and lime.
Cave de Turckheim Organic Crémant d’Alsace (12%)
Waitrose, £15
This champagne lookalike is perfect for drinks parties. It’s appley and lively, with a creamy finish.
Achard-Vincent Crémant de Die P’tit Jules (12%)
Yapp Brothers, £21.50
Muscat, aligoté and clairette meld in this fresh, steely blend, packed with green apple and pear.
Will’s pick from The Sunday Times Wine Club
2021 Vasse Felix Chardonnay
Australia (12.5%) £23
This elegant cool-climate chardonnay from Margaret River has juicy tropical fruit on the nose, with a more taut, dry saline twist on the finish.