Viniferaboutique News and Blog

Dear Customers.

At Vinifera Boutique we have lowered many of our wine prices even with the new higher VAT rates since January 2010, in order to help you prepare for a great spring.

As Hafez said, “Without wine, spring is not pleasant” (Hafez 1315 -1390).

Additionally, please use the code “New2010″ if you are a new customer to get £10 off any order over £30.

Most readers have probably just spent the New Years celebrations drinking Champagne, many of which were available at incredibly good deals before the holidays.

With the below wines you can make more days of the week special, even on a budget. This way, if the Champagne prices go up and you still want to enjoy sparkling wine instead of still wine just simply because you enjoy it, here is your guide to French sparkling wine.

When switching from Champagne many people think Italian Prosecco, or Spanish Cava, or perhaps closer to Champagne, California and New Zealand. But actually you can stay in France and either benefit from the same method as is used in Champagne production or other high quality crémant sparkling wines with perhaps even longer traditions.

(Champagne: Made from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay grapes. Famous for the méthode traditionelle, where the second fermentation takes place in the bottle instead of in the tank. Champagne is also traditionally drunk from long flute glasses where one can see the bubbles as they rise from the bottom to the top.)

These are not necessarily in any order of quality.

10) Crémant de Bordeaux. The only one in this list to be placed at the beginning for a reason.

9) Savoie méthode traditionelle. The smell and particular taste will give it away, but actually the quality otherwise is good. This includes the Jura Cremants.

8 ) Crémant de Bourgogne. Also if from a good producer, this can be an undervalued wine from the regions of Yonne or Macon.

7) Gaillac Mousseux méthode Gaillacoise. Similar production method as Clairette de Die below, with just one fermentation and only natural sugar.

6) Crémant de Limoux. Near the Spanish border furthest away from traditional Champagne. This refreshing yet high quality appellation could be another one to surprise at the dinner table. Made from white grapes Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, some Mauzac.

5) Loire “Mousseaux” or Crémant. Crémant de Loire is one suggestion for a good value wine. Second you have the Vouvray Mousseux or Saumur Mousseux.

4) Clairette de Die. Made by the méthode “dioise” in the Rhone, with just one fermentation, from Muscat a Petits Grains grapes. Not only are these sparkling wines special as they are from the Rhone, but they give a hint of alpine taste as well.

3) Loire Petillant. these can be slightly less sparkling, or semi-sparkling. Look out for additions of these harder to find wines to Vinifera Boutique.

2) Crémant Alsace. Alsace have some highly rated sparkling wines.

1) Champagne Beer. Actually a beer rather than a wine, but sold in wines shops. As far as I have come across this, they are mostly made in Belgium, but then transported to Alsace – so it could be 50% French, 50% Belgian. Either way I have seen it sold cheaper in export markets than Belgium itself, so an worthwhile buy.

Some say that the first French sparkling wine was actually not produced in Champagne…