For those seeking a budget-friendly alternative to Champagne, drinks expert Becky Paskin recommends Crémant, a sparkling wine made using the same méthode traditionelle but outside the Champagne region and with different grape varieties. Paskin highlights Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Crémant de Loire NV, priced at £12.99, as an excellent value option for celebrations.
Why Crémant is a worthy substitute
Crémant is produced in wine regions across France and in Luxembourg. Bottles tend to have a slightly fruitier, lighter style while rivalling the fine bubbles and dry, complex flavour profile of Champagne. Paskin notes that this expression is widely considered to be just as good as Champagne.
The recommended bottle
The Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Crémant de Loire NV is from the Loire and produced from a blend of 85 per cent Chenin and 15 per cent Chardonnay. The wine is aged on lees for twice the appellation minimum for additional complexity and elegance. Paskin describes it as having Crémant de Loire's signature lemon and quince flavours mingling with rounded biscuity notes and a beautiful creaminess, calling it a bottle worthy of any celebration.
The wine has an ABV of 12% and comes in a 75cl bottle. Paskin's expert roundup of the best Champagne for under £50 also delivers on affordability and flavour.
