The Corkscrew | Cremant - French for creamy - is a sparkling alternative to champagne
Cremant de Bourgogne - wines made in Burgundy from the same grapes as chardonnay - are the pick of the nine regional varieties on offer, writes Nellie Ming Lee
In France, sparkling wines that are not champagne are referred to as cremant. French for "creamy", the wine gets its name because it has a slightly lower atmospheric pressure in the bottle than champagne, and is therefore considered to have a creamy mouthfeel rather than a fizzy one. These wines are made using the same methods as champagne, but each region may use grape varieties other than the three classics (chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier) used in the Champagne region.
There are eight AOC cremant regions in France, and one outside the country - Cremant de Luxembourg. The cremant wines of Burgundy - Cremant de Bourgogne - have much in common with champagne, as they are made predominantly with chardonnay and pinot noir.
The styles of Cremant de Bourgogne are:
Cremant de Bourgogne Blanc - minimum of 30 per cent chardonnay and/or pinot noirCremant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs - all white grapes, of course, usually chardonnay, but some winemakers may add a small amount of aligote
Cremant de Bourgogne Rosé - mostly pinot noir with an optional addition of gamay noir
Cremant de Bourgogne Blanc de Noirs - entirely pinot noir
