Champagne and Cremant: What's The Difference?
Everybody knows champagne... some people know cremant, but do you know the difference? At it's base both are sparkling wines but Champagne can only be grown in a specific area, under strict guidelines for grapes used, fermentation and maturation. Cremant is what everyone else in France makes, Burgundy, Loire, Alsace, Rhone and even Bordeaux, no matter how how high their still wines are regarded, their sparkling wines are still called cremant.
While it might not be as well known or well regarded as champagne, cremant can still prove to be a delicious, affordable alternative to champagne. With the regulations on its production a little looser, winemakers have a the fredom to chose grapes from their own regions to make their sparkling wines, like Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Gamay. This makes cremant an adventurous tasting, opening a whole new world of flavours and bubbles you never knew existed.
Read More: Decanter Magazine