Ok, sparkling wine is a year-round delight, but let’s not kid ourselves. From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, it’s high season for bubbles.
So I want to highlight a range of French sparkling wines that, once you know the name, you’re going to get something good and not too expensive. So remember this: Crémant.
It’s a word denoting a set of sparklers, though not from Champagne, made in the same painstaking method. (That process being a still wine which goes through a second fermentation in the bottle, where it becomes bubble time.)
You’ll see “Crémant” on a label followed by the name of a place (with a “de” or “d'” in between.) A few places to look for:
- Alsace
- Bordeaux
- Bourgogne (Burgundy)
- Loire
I discuss this (and more, including the best food pairings for all sparkling wines, including Champagne) on my final Snacky Tunes segment for 2017. Huge thanks to the show for letting me run wild for five minutes every month.
Have a listen:
Also on this episode:
The chef-owner of Chicago’s Oriole, Noah Sandoval, talks about his restaurant, getting his career started in Richmond, VA, and having a father who is also a Navy SEAL.
THICK, a girlwave rock trio from Brooklyn, stop by for a chat and a live performance.
(And, yes, I do take a little time at the end of my Crémant talk to introduce listeners to my love for, and defense of, the Champagne flute.)
Champagne cork and cage photo by Peter Miller via Flickr.
