New frontiers of fizz – Sparkling beyond Champagne

After celebrating Christmas and welcoming New Years we are still not ready to be done with fizz!

This year we are all about prolonging the sparkle to keep the January blues at bay, and why not combine it with resolutions to try something new? So, for now put the Champagne to one side and hold space for a new go-to fizz. Here are our must try’s:

Crémant
Becoming increasingly popular as a budget-friendly alternative to Champagne, Crémant is France’s ‘other’ fizz, although still subject to the countries meticulous wine laws assuring quality control. It is made using the same method as Champagne, grapes must be whole bunch pressed, and wine must have gone through a minimum of nine months’ lees aging. A wider variety of grapes are permitted to be used in Crémant than Champagne and there are eight different French appellations permitted to make it, each using regional grape variations.

Alsace produces more than half of all French Crémant and is the most well-known region for it’s production. Crémant de Alsace is usually made with a Pinot Blanc dominant grape blend.

Limoux is another famous Crémant producing region, an area with a historic claim to be the first place in France (Before Champagne!) to produce sparkling wine. Crémant de Limoux is most often made from Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.

The Bottle Shop recommends - Maison Antech, Crémant de Limoux, Cuvée Eugénie

Pignoletto
If your fizz of choice is normally Prosecco then take a step outside the famous appellation and over to North-Eastern Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, where they produce Pignoletto. Another Italian Sparking wine which uses the Grechetto grape as opposed to Prosecco’s grape Glera. Pignoletto tends to be a touch drier than Prosecco with uplifting citrus fruit notes, an easy serve alongside fish, white meat and soft cheeses.

The Bottle Shop recommends - Villa Cialdini, Pignoletto

English Sparkling
The level of sparkling wine being produced in England today is holding its own (and winning!) at International Wine Competitions, so there really is no excuse to sleep on drinking what’s essentially on our own doorstep. Whether your preference is a classic Champagne style wine, or you are seeking something more out-there and never tried before, English wine producers are making fizz in an array of styles.

The Bottle Shop recommends - Rathfinny Estate, Rose

If you want to try a couple of different sparkling wines exploring this case that showscase 6 different bottles.