Crémant, a high-quality sparkling wine made using the Champagne method

When it comes to sparkling wine, the first thing that comes to mind is probably Champagne (or Champagne in English). Champagne is a French AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée), and only wines made in the Champagne region using the prescribed methods can bear the name.

In other words, even if it is made using the same champagne techniques, anything made in another region cannot be called champagne.

It is true that champagne is famous, and many people buy it just for the name, but it is also true that there is "industrial, stale, really bad French champagne" (p. 7), and that champagne made in other regions, such as Burgundy, Alsace, and Bordeaux, using the champagne method is much tastier than that.

And if the wine is as delicious as Champagne, it will cost half as much as Champagne. Crémant is a type of wine made in a region other than Champagne using the Champagne method .


Crémant received the AOC designation in 1975, which means that legal regulations were put in place to define what kind of wine Crémant is. The name Crémant comes from the fact that it is "a champagne with half the bubbles removed, i.e. a champagne with gentler bubbles (higher quality)" (p. 9) , and dates back to the 19th century.

The people who worked hard to create the Crémant category were producers in the Champagne region, who thought that Champagne was the only sparkling wine, and producers in other regions who simply make sparkling wine without worrying about quality. There is a big gap between Champagne, which is expensive and reserved for export, and sparkling wine that the general public can buy, and it was these producers in the middle who filled that gap.


Crémant is made using the traditional method, which is almost the same as the so-called Champagne method, and is subject to strict regulations such as "grape selection at the harvest and pressing stages" (hand-picking, grape transportation method, limiting the amount of juice pressed, etc.), "the generation of bubbles and the natural course of the wine's maturation stage" (the time of bottling, secondary fermentation in the bottle, the time of racking, etc.), and "strictness in inspection and pursuit of quality" (the amount of juice per weight of grapes, labeling, the need for tasting to grant the AOC) (p. 11).

Made as naturally as possible, especially organic ones, they are excellent and truly noteworthy among sparkling wines. By the way, the alcohol content is set at 11.5% by regulation, which means it is relatively low, making it easy to drink.


There are seven types of Crémant, and Crémant de Bourgogne is one of them. This Crémant de Bourgogne is often compared to Champagne because it is made from the same grape varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as Champagne.


According to Segel and Qualite, the Crémant de Bourgogne from Chateau de Sassongy, available at Mavi, has been awarded a perfect score (three hearts) as a recommended Crémant de Bourgogne. "It is pure and unadorned, with plenty of fine bubbles. The aroma of apples and ground powder is pleasant, but not aggressive. In the mouth, it has a full, rich flavor with an elegant touch. It is a classic Crémant de Bourgogne that goes well with both an aperitif and a meal" (ibid., p. 29). (*As of January 2014, this product is not available.)

Mavi also has other wonderful Cremants, including Crémant d'Alsace ( full bottle / half bottle ), Crémant d'Alsace Rosé , Crémant d'Alsace Blanc de Noir Sparkling , Crémant de Bordeaux , and Crémant de Die . Please enjoy them to your heart's content!


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Dish using Cremant 1: Scallop Fricassee

[Ingredients for 4 servings]

8 scallops, 4 mint leaves, 50g butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 onion, 1 piece ginger, 25g flour, 150cc crémant


[How to make]

  1. Remove the scallops from their shells and cut them into 3-4 pieces. Keep the shells. Season the meat with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Finely chop the garlic, ginger, onion and mint.
  2. Heat a frying pan with half the butter and olive oil. Add the chopped garlic, ginger, and onion and fry until soft.
  3. In a separate frying pan, sauté the scallops in the remaining butter and oil for about 2 minutes, then add the shells and cook for a further 2 minutes.
  4. Add [2], mint leaves, and crémant. Mix well and turn off the heat when the crémant is well heated and the sauce has thickened.
  5. Serve as hot as possible with a Brut or Brut de Brut Crémant.

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Dish using Cremant 2: Sabayon and grape beignets with Cremant

[Ingredients for 4 servings]

Sabayon (a sauce made by adding alcohol or water to egg yolks): 4 egg yolks, 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 150ml of crémant

Beignets: 1 whole egg, 1 bunch of grapes, 150ml water, 100g flour, 50g cornstarch, a pinch of sugar, a suitable amount of oil for deep frying


[How to make]

  • Sabayon
    1. Beat 4 egg yolks and 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar in a bowl over a bain-marie until fluffy and white. While beating, pour in the crémant little by little, stirring well each time until it becomes creamy.
    2. After about 15 minutes, when the cream has reached the desired consistency, pour it into a container, preferably keeping it warm.
  • Beignets
    1. In a large salad bowl, whisk one egg and cold water together until well combined.
    2. Sift the flour and cornstarch into bowl [1], then add a pinch of sugar and mix further.
    3. Divide the grapes into groups of 3 or 4 with the stems still attached, and dip them in the batter.
    4. Add the battered grapes to hot frying oil and fry.
    5. Once the fish has browned to the right colour, carefully drain off the oil and place it on a deep plate lined with kitchen paper.
    6. Once it's done, serve it warm with sabayon. Of course, we recommend pairing it with a dry crémant!

References and Citations
Alain Segelle et Jean-Marc Carite "La (recon)naissance des créments comme une leçon de modestie" au... champagne ." Vin Bio Magazine No. 5 (pp. 6-13)
Alain Segel & Jean-Marc Qualité (Editors-in-Chief of Vin Bio Magazine) “The birth of Crémant and a new appreciation for Crémant – A little story about sparkling alcoholic beverages” Van Bio Magazine No. 5 (pp. 6-13)



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