Crémant: Champagne’s Cooler, Cheaper Cousin

For those who think Champagne is the only French sparkling wine worth mentioning — bless your expensive taste, but let’s talk. Because while you’re over there dropping £50 for a name and a wire cage, crémant is quietly having a moment. A very good, very fizzy, very wallet-friendly moment.

Crémant is the insider tip wine nerds drop with the same satisfaction as a travel blogger whispering “avoid Rome in August.” It’s French. It’s bubbly. It’s made using the exact same method as Champagne. And here’s the kicker: it’s often half the price and twice the fun.

Why the discount? Simple. Crémant doesn’t come from Champagne. And in wine, geography is everything. The moment you leave the narrow, rule-heavy region of Champagne and start bottling your bubbles in, say, Alsace or the Loire Valley, the wine magically stops being “Champagne” and starts being “crémant.” That means fewer prestige points but significantly more money left for food, rent, or—hear us out—more wine.

The best part? Crémant is still French enough to be smug about, but niche enough to sound like you know things. Order a glass of crémant at a bar and you’ll seem worldly, frugal, and just a little rebellious. Basically the person everyone wants to sit next to at a party.

So if you’re tired of overpaying for fizz or pretending to enjoy Prosecco that tastes like carbonated pear juice, it’s time to get acquainted with crémant. Because nothing says “I know what I’m doing” like bubbles that don’t blow your budget.

What Makes Crémant Different from Champagne

Alright, let’s clear this up once and for all. Crémant and Champagne are not the same thing — but they’re not not the same thing either. Confused? Excellent. Let’s unpack.

Both are French. Both are sparkling. Both are made using the traditional method (méthode traditionnelle, if you want to sound like you’ve studied abroad). That means they go through a second fermentation in the bottle — the same slow, labor-intensive process that gives Champagne its fine bubbles and occasional superiority complex.

So what’s the difference? One word: location.

Champagne is made in — surprise — Champagne. It’s a specific region with strict rules, limited land, and centuries of marketing behind it. Think of it like wine royalty: well-dressed, a little aloof, and used to getting its way.

Crémant, on the other hand, is the scrappy, underrated cousin who skipped the palace and started a boutique B&B in the countryside. It’s made in eight different regions across France (plus Luxembourg), and while each one puts its own spin on the style, they all follow the traditional method playbook.

Here’s where it gets interesting: because crémant isn’t tied to Champagne’s brand tax, winemakers can experiment. That means different grapes, terroirs, and personalities in each bottle — and no one’s trying to charge you £90 because the label features a fancy serif font and a coat of arms.

So if you like your bubbles with a side of flair and don’t need the word “Champagne” to enjoy your drink, crémant might just be your new best friend.

The French Regions Behind the Bubbles

You didn’t think the French would let a category like crémant exist without turning it into a competitive regional sport, did you? Of course not. France doesn’t just make crémant — it makes eight different types of crémant, depending on which region decides to pop the cork and play.

Let’s meet the major players:

Crémant d’Alsace

Bright, fresh, and crisp like an overachieving student with a love of spreadsheets. Often made from Pinot Blanc, Riesling, or even Pinot Noir. If you like sparkling wine that leans clean and zippy, Alsace is your move.

Crémant de Bourgogne

Burgundy’s answer to Champagne — but slightly chiller. Made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, just like Champagne, but often more approachable and less snooty. Think: casual elegance with just enough bite.

Crémant de Loire

Versatile and charming. The Loire Valley throws Chenin Blanc into the mix, adding a soft richness and a whisper of orchard fruit. It’s like Champagne’s artsy cousin who smells faintly of wildflowers and philosophy books.

Crémant de Limoux

Made down in the Languedoc, this might actually predate Champagne (scandal!). The wines here can be a little fuller and toastier — the sort of thing you drink when you want to feel like you know a secret the rest of the table doesn’t.

Crémant du Jura, Crémant de Bordeaux, Crémant de Savoie, and Crémant de Die

Less famous, but still worth exploring if you like your wine a little off the beaten path. These are the hipster crémants — obscure, sometimes unpredictable, but occasionally brilliant.

In short: crémant isn’t one thing. It’s a sparkling spectrum. And half the fun is drinking your way through all the accents.

How Crémant Is Made and Why It’s Legit

Let’s be clear: crémant is not some shortcut sparkling wine. This isn’t your friend’s bathtub Prosecco experiment or that one time someone tried to carbonate white wine with a SodaStream.

No — crémant is made the traditional way, with bubbles born from secondary fermentation inside the bottle. Just like Champagne. No shortcuts, no gimmicks, no canned-wine energy.

The process starts with a base wine — often dry, acidic, and underwhelming if drunk as-is. Then sugar and yeast are added before bottling, and this mix triggers a second fermentation that produces carbon dioxide (i.e. those tiny elegant bubbles we all pretend to care about deeply).

Once fermentation is complete, the wine spends a minimum of nine months on lees — that’s dead yeast cells for those of you playing along at home — which gives crémant its creamy texture and toasty notes. Not quite Champagne-level aging, but more than enough to earn some bubbly street cred.

Eventually, the bottle is riddled (turned slowly so sediment collects in the neck), disgorged (sediment removed), and topped up with dosage — a little sugar mix that determines how sweet or dry the final wine is.

Translation: crémant is real sparkling wine, made by people who know what they’re doing and could easily charge more if they wanted to.

So the next time someone tells you it’s just “cheap Champagne,” you can smile sweetly and say, “Actually, it’s Champagne without the trust fund.”

Crémant vs Prosecco: Why Bubbles Aren’t Created Equal

Let’s get something out of the way: Prosecco and crémant are not rivals. They’re not even in the same category. Comparing the two is like comparing a tailored blazer to a polyester hoodie — they both cover your torso, but one definitely brings more to the table.

Prosecco, for all its pop and popularity, is made using the tank method — where bubbles are born in a giant steel vat, like a bubbly hot tub party. This is great for speed, scale, and price. It’s why Prosecco is everywhere, from corner shops to bottomless brunches where dignity goes to die.

Crémant, on the other hand, is old-school. It’s made using the traditional method — second fermentation in the bottle, time spent aging on lees, riddling, disgorging… the full Champagne treatment. Which means finer bubbles, deeper complexity, and that subtle bready thing we all pretend to notice.

Flavor-wise? Crémant tends to be drier, leaner, and more layered. It says “I have opinions about texture.” Prosecco says “I was on sale.”

That’s not to say Prosecco doesn’t have a place. It’s light, fruity, and doesn’t ask much from you emotionally. But if you want nuance, structure, or anything that feels vaguely grown-up, crémant’s your better bet.

So no, this isn’t just “French Prosecco.” It’s more like Prosecco’s sophisticated cousin who owns linen trousers and reads wine labels without moving their lips.

When to Serve Crémant (and How to Pretend You Planned It)

You don’t need a reason to open a bottle of crémant. But if you want to look like you did, here’s your cheat sheet.

Dinner party with friends you like but don’t love? Crémant. It’s fancy enough to impress, but affordable enough to pour freely.

Engagement toast where you’re not the main character? Crémant. It sparkles, it flatters, but it doesn’t steal the spotlight.

New Year’s Eve and the budget went to fireworks? Crémant. Champagne vibes without Champagne prices. Everyone’s drunk by 11:45 anyway.

Just survived Tuesday? Crémant. Pop it. Pour it. Sit back and reflect on how adult you’ve become.

Crémant is versatile. It works as an aperitif, pairs beautifully with food (especially anything fried, creamy, or seafood-adjacent), and doesn’t require a tuxedo to enjoy.

And here’s the best part: most people won’t know what it is — which gives you a golden opportunity to look like a genius. Just say something vaguely wine-y like, “I’ve been drinking more traditional method sparklings lately,” and let them assume you have a cellar and a therapist.

You don’t need a celebration. You don’t need a sabre. You just need a glass and a mild desire to feel fancy without paying the Champagne tax.

The Final Sip: Why Crémant Might Be the Best Wine Decision You’ll Make This Year

Let’s face it — you’re probably drinking sparkling wine wrong. Not always. But often. You chase the word “Champagne” like it’s a flavor, not a postcode. You default to Prosecco because it’s what’s on the happy hour menu. And you’ve never even considered that France might offer other bubbles worth your attention.

But crémant? Crémant is the course correction. It’s the wine that whispers, “You could be drinking better, for less.” And once you’ve heard it, you can’t un-hear it.

It’s made by serious winemakers in historic French regions. It follows the exact same winemaking process as Champagne. It’s aged, complex, food-friendly, and frankly a bit smug about how underpriced it still is.

And best of all? Crémant gives you options. You want crisp and citrusy? Go Alsace. Something richer and fuller? Head to Limoux. Classic and refined? Burgundy’s got your back. You’re not stuck with one region, one grape, or one style — and that freedom is delicious.

So why does it still fly under the radar? Because you haven’t been telling enough people about it. And because people still assume that price equals quality — which, in wine, is only true until you discover things like crémant and realise you’ve been conned for years.

Next time you’re scanning the wine aisle and Champagne looks a little too pleased with itself, keep walking. Find the crémant. Buy two. One for the night you planned, and one for the night that’ll unexpectedly deserve it.

Because drinking better doesn’t always mean drinking more expensive — and crémant is proof that some of France’s best-kept secrets still come with corks.