A great value alternative to Champagne, crémants offer characterful regional sparkle from all over France. Sue Style recommends her favourite bottles...
Without the deep pockets required to drink grande marque or grower Champagne, I’m always on the lookout for well-made sparkling wine from other regions of France.
There are, of course, many Champagnes available at relatively modest prices. They find a market because there’s something magical about the brand, but they can be deeply disappointing. Decent crémant is often a far better bet.
Scroll down to see Sue’s top 18 Crémants from France
{"content":"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"}
Sue’s picks of Crémant from France
{}
{"wineId":"22579","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22580","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22578","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22577","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22576","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22575","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22574","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22573","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"5483","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22572","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22571","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22570","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22565","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22569","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22568","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22567","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22566","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"22564","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
You might also like:
