French Crémant with Tasty Nibbles #winophiles

‘Tis the season for a glass (or 2) of sparkling wine. <Full Stop! > Actually, it is always the season for a glass of sparkling wine, especially French Crémant. Crémant is a sparkling wine made in nine different wine-growing regions in France and Luxembourg, produced in the traditional method like Champagne, but at very affordable price points compared to Champagne.

I gathered a basket full of different French Crémant wines at my local Total Wines and then took inspiration from “The Lost Kitchen” and created some tasty nibbles to pair with my bubbles.

This month the French Winophiles celebrate the holidays with Crémant wines from France. Join us on Twitter, Saturday, December 18th at 11:00 AM ET to chat about Crémant (follow along and join the chat with hashtag #winophiles). Don’t miss my fellow French Winophiles posts listed at the end of this post.

Crémant Wine Regions and the Grape Varieties Used

What differentiates the nine Crémant regions is their grapes to produce their Crémant wines. (Champagne is made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes.)

Crémant d’ Alsace – Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir

Crémant de Bourgogne – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamy, Pinot Blanc, Sacy, Pinot Gris, Aligoté, and Melon de Bourgogne

Crémant de Limoux – Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Mauzac (locally known as Blanquette), and Pinot Noir

Crémant de Loire – Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Arbois, Pineaud’Aunis, Grilleau, Grolleau Gris

Crémant de Bourdeaux – Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle

Crémant du Jura – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Poulsard, Savagnin, Pinot Gris, Trousseau

Crémant de Die – Clairette, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains and Aligoté

Crémant de Savoie – Jacquère, Altesse, Chardonnay, Chasselas, and Aligoté

Crémant de Luxembourg – Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Rivaner (Müller Thurgau, Elbling, Auxerrois, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay

Notes From My Sampling of Crémant Wines

Maison JBF Crémant de Limoux Brut, Languedoc – Roussillon, France
12.5% abv | Total Wine $20.00 | Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Mauzac
Total Wine’s Taste Note: honey, green apple, and toast

Louis Bouillot Crémant de Bourgogne Grand Reserve Perle de Vigne
12% abv | Total Wines $22.00 | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Aligoté, and Gamay

Pale straw in color with tiny persistent bubbles.  Floral, vanilla, and toast aromas. Medium body with medium(+) acidity. On the palate, notes of pear, apple, and lemon curd. The texture is smooth mid palate with a minerality and citrus finish. 

Anne de K Crémant d’ Alsace Brut Rosé
12.5% abv | Total Wines $22.00 | Pinot Noir
Total Wine’s Taste Note: fruity, strawberry

Deligeroy Crémant de Loire Rosé Brut
12.5% abv | Total Wines $20.50 | Cabernet Franc
Total Wine’s Taste Note: berry, apple

Levert Frères Crémant de Bourgogne
12% abv | Total Wines $19.00 | 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Gamay
Total Wine’s Taste Note: red and black fruit

**Watch my Instagram always_ravenous as I taste my way through these Crémant wines. I will also be updating this post with my tasting notes.

Tasty Nibbles to Pair with French Crémant

I took inspiration for this board of tasty nibbles from “The Lost Kitchen,” a show on Discovery+ that I’ve been consumed by. It is about a small restaurant in Maine that sources local and seasonal foods. Reservations to dine there are by a lottery. The owner, Erin French also has a cookbook called “The Lost Kitchen.”

Sparkling wines, in general, are food-friendly with their high acidity, low alcohol, and cleansing bubbles. I created a small board of tasty nibbles to tease the palate.

Pairing Notes

French Gougères made with Gruyère cheese and dill stuffed with smoked salmon and a dollop of crème fraîche – the yeasty, fresh, salty, smoky and creamy elements of the gougères are a savory match to the Crémant’s freshness, bubbles, and creamy, yeasty notes

Cremont a soft double-cream cow and goat cheese

Mousse au Poulet a chicken liver and pepper mousse

Sweet Grass double cream cow’s milk cheese – the creamy, silky cheeses and chicken liver mousse are cleansed with the Crémant’s bubbles and acidity

Marinated olives with herbs, orange zest, and red pepper flakes – the salty, herby, and slightly spicy olives are a nice contrast to the textures and flavors of the different Crémant styles.

Apples, rosemary Marcona almonds, and crackers – these additional board components are flavors you may pick up in the different Crémants

More from the French Winophiles and French Crémant Wines~

• A Delightful Duo of Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
• An Aperitif with Flair – Crémant de Bourgogne and Amuse-Bouche by Grape Experiences
• Champagne Sabering Louis Boillot Cremant de Bourgogneby David Glancy Master Sommelier and French Wine Scholar from San Francisco Wine School
• French Crémant with Tasty Nibbles by Always Ravenous
• High-Low Pairing: Domaine Allimant-Laugner Crémant d’Alsace Rosé + Takeout Chinese by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• On the Road with Cremant d’Alsace by Somm’s Table
• Slow Cooker Shrimp Boil paired with a Cremant Cocktail for a fun Holiday Celebration by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sparkle-up Your Comfort Food with Crémant d’Alsace by Food Wine Click!
• Sparkling Wine Secrets: Celebrate the Season with Biodynamic Bubbles from Bourgogne and Alsace with Festive Finger Foods by Wine Predator…Gwendolyn Alley
• Tasting Cremants with Janice Robinson by Wineivore