Many people mistakenly call all sparkling wines “Champagne,” which is technically incorrect. That term is reserved for sparkling wine made from the traditional method within the boundries of the Champagne region of France and using only Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. There are, however, sparkling wines made with this traditional method in other countries and within other regions of France. These sparkling wines, with their differing grape varieties, can be an interesting and budget-wise alternative to Champagne itself.
Spain’s version of sparkling wine made by the traditional method is known as Cava. The majority is produced from the Catalan vineyards of Penedès with some production in Rioja, Navarra, and Utiel-Requena. The rules of production enforce the traditional method and the wines must spend a minimum of 9 months in bottle before disgorgement. Another interesting fact is the cork must bear a four-pointed star on its base. As you would expect, the grape varieties are different from what we find in the Champagne region. The grapes used here are Macabeo (relatively neutral in flavor), Xarel-lo (strong earthy flavor), and Parellada (mild apple flavor). Most Cava is dry with low acidity and unlike Champagne, are not made for ageing.
South Africa has its version of traditional style sparkling wine called “Cap Classique” (older name is Vonkelwijn). It’s a generic term for any wine in the Cape that is produced by the traditional method. The only mandatory criteria is that these wines must have 12 months on the lees (yeast sediment ). Here we see a variety of grapes used individually or in differing blends. These varieties include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, along with Pinotage, Shiraz, and Chenin Blanc.
As we mentioned, France reserves the term “Champagne” for traditional method sparkling wine made within the Champagne region. What about all the other French regions that make sparkling wines by traditional method and are outside Champagne? These share the name Crémant. Stricter production controls came about for these wines in 1975 determining the proportion of grape varieties in the blend, yields of juice and the rule of a minimum of 9 months on the lees. The regions distinguish themselves by placing the name of the region in the title but the grape varieties vary from region to region. These wines are made from the grapes that make the best still wines of the region with some examples including: Crémant de Alsace (Pinot Blanc and Riesling), Crémant de Bourgogne (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir), Crémant de Limoux (Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Mauzac), and Crémant de Loire (Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc).
With all of these Champagne alternatives, we can experiment with sparkling wines from different countries and with different grape varieties without compromising quality or breaking the bank. So, I encourage you to try these “non-Champagne” sparkling wines. And remember, sparkling wines are good anytime, life is a celebration!
Masters of Wine
Wine and Spirits Education Trust
Dennis, I enjoyed reading your articles keep up the good work!
What are your thoughts on California vs. French (Cremants)? Today, I hear that Britain sparkling wines is just as good as Champagne? Your thoughts on that too would be great.
Great commentary! Irecently tried an older vintage champagne, what a difference from non- vintage. What are your thougts, any general descriptions or things to look for.
That is a great question. I think we need to first look at the region of Champagne. The region is the most northerly for grape growing in France and is therefor markedly colder by comparison. One of the main problems is to gain full ripening of the grapes. This is especially true with declared vintage champagne, the requirement being a minimum of 9.5% natural alcohol. In some years this does not occur and a “vintage” year cannot be claimed. Also, even in the best year, no more that 80% of a crop can be sold as vintage.
With vintage declaration being more rare, generally 3 to 4 every decade, and the more strict requirements, the price point is much higher. Granted, the better juice is used and more care is taken but I am not sure it is always worth the inflated price. Traditionally, Champagne has been made from a number of different vineyards within the appellation. Most major firms use wines from up to 200 different communes in their blend. A large number of growers and a few larger firms make wines from a single commune or vineyard. This blending of different vineyards and often times different years (10% – 50% vins de reserve), is the mastery of non-vintage champagne.
Not all non-vintage Champagne is the same. On every bottle there are required marks that tell you who made the Champagne: MA – brand name not owned by the producer (supermarket name), NM – Champagne House, CM – Cooperative Cellar, and RM – Grower. A majority of growers sell their grapes to a cooperative cellars or one of the Champagne producing houses. There are, however, approximately 3750 growers who sell their own Champagne and in many cases it was vinified in a cooperative cellar. This grower Champagne, I think, represents the best value for a great product. I like Champagne that has a detectable autolysis component. By that I mean it has the flavors you get from a prolonged contact with the dead yeast (lees).
My recommendation for a great, yeasty RM Champagne is A. Margaine Champagne Brut Cuvee Traditionelle NV 750ml. This is locally available and a bargain for the price. I’ll e-mail you the label. Thanks for your interest and I hope this helps. Cheers!