Over indulged in Cremant de Bourgogne last night. If there is such a thing.
But my oh my it was tasty, refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable. No reason, no celebration, simply a quiet night in with my loved ones. Well, that is reason enough, isn’t it?
You may well ask what Cremant de Bourgogne is, which requires the explanation of regions. In France wines are not called Chardonnay or Merlot. They are called Chablis or Cahors. This is because so many factors go into what makes a wine (good or bad) including weather and the soil.
This is why Champagne is known as Champagne. It is a region in France. And where I live, in Bourgogne (Burgundy in English), sparkling wine is called Cremant de Bourgogne.
Each region, even each village, area is different in so many ways, so therefore although the grape variety might be the same, the wine could taste completely different.
If you have never put this to the test, we recommend trying a taste comparison test. Pick a region of France you wish to test. Let’s say Chablis. Visit your local wine store, or supermarket, and choose 3 or 4 wines from this region, eg all are Chablis. Now taste test them to compare. (Good excuse to get together with friends or family.) Bet you they all taste very different from each other. And yet, they will have all been made from the same area, with the same grape variety.
PS. Haven’t tried the taste test? Or simply not clear, as my head is not. Or want to know more detail about why wines are called something different in France? www.pumpjackpiddlewick.com/terroir-wine-101/
Or, if you would like to know more about the traditions and background of Cremant, Decanter offers a really good article.
Shop Wine Lover Gifts
As wine makers ourselves, we are always on the search for interesting and unique and particularly French wine items for our vintage and antiques shop. Here’s a taste of some of the things we have found:
