Crémant de Loire – New Crème de la Crème for UK Sparkling Wine Drinkers

Brits’ bubbly tastes are changing. New figures out show that exports of Crémant de Loire wine to the UK have risen by 34% in 2017. Whereas Champagne and more recently Prosecco have dominated the sparkling wine market in the UK, Crémant looks set to be the next go-to bottle of fizz on UK supermarket shelves.

For those who perhaps haven’t yet heard of Crémant de Loire, this sparkling wine from the Loire Valley region of France has been a long time favourite amongst wine professionals and is now becoming more available to everyday consumers due to its increasing popularity.

Crémant de Loire benefits from the same winemaking method as Champagne, known as the “traditional method”, meaning the second fermentation takes place in the bottle. This inevitably leads to many comparisons between Champagne and Crémant de Loire.

However, retailers and consumers are quick to take advantage of the price variation between Champagne and Crémant de Loire, with many of the Crémant de Loire wines priced between the £10 and £15, offering consumers a quality alternative to Champagne. Said Pierre-Jean Sauvion, President of the Communications Committee at Loire Valley Wines. “At present, the Loire Valley is the largest sparkling wine producer in France after Champagne, with a real know-how that combines tradition, delicacy and modernity.

Said Claire Duchene, Communication Director for Loire Valley Wines (the trade body that represents all wines from the Loire Valley region): “We’ve really seen a sharp increase in exports of Crémant de Loire to the UK in the past year. We’re not surprised at all as this sparkling wine offers UK consumers a quality French sparkling wine. We predict Crémant de Loire is likely to be one of the bestsellers on the UK market in the next couple of years.”

The UK’s thirst for sparkling wines seems unquenchable and consumers look set to see more and more Crémant de Loire in the UK’s restaurants and supermarkets.