Great value Sparkling Wine Alternatives

Where Is Sparkling Wine Made?

It’s a bit of a sweeping generalisation but you can more or less find sparkling wines from every country that produces still wines. Interestingly 80% (that’s around 2 billion bottles) of the world’s sparkling production comes from just five countries; Italy, France, Germany, Spain and the US.

Most of Germany’s Sekt production is consumed domestically, which to be honest is no bad thing. Germans love their fizz and consume more sparkling wine than any other country (nearly 400 million bottles), followed by France. Americans are the third biggest consumers of bubbles and drink most of their own production as well as a vast amount from Europe too.

In the UK, whilst our domestic production is still evolving, we still import as much fizz as the US (that’s around 175 million bottles) and most of this comes from Italy, France and Spain so we’ll focus on these areas for value alternatives.

Italy’s Alternative Sparkling Wines

Ironically, Italy does produce another quality sparkler from the Veneto region, where Prosecco is made, but from a lesser-known grape variety called Durella. There are only around 470 hectares of this variety grown, so relatively little, but the wines tend to be drier than Prosecco even though they’re mostly made by the same method in tank. Grown on volcanic hillsides, they have good acidity levels making them the perfect partner for antipasti and charcuterie platters, something you can witness in Verona’s bars and restaurants.

There’s a general ‘Durello’ that is labelled as a Vino Spumante that’s excellent value, and there’s also a more premium version labelled Lessini Durello DOC which is a subzone of only 145 hectares. Both versions make a great alternative to Prosecco as they offer better value and are just as easy to convey to the consumer.

If you’re looking for quality ‘traditional method’ sparkling wines, it’s worth seeking out two appellations, Trento DOC (from Trentino-Alto Adige) and Franciacorta DOCG (from Lombardy). Both have strict production methods and like Champagne, have increased levels of quality and pricing. Relatively little of either of these make it to the UK but we’re fortunate to be able to source both at Inn Express on request.

France’s Alternative Sparkling Wines

Sparkling wines are made all over France from the low-alcohol, almost spritzy ‘méthode ancestrale’ wines to ideal cocktail blenders like Vins Mousseux (made the same way as Prosecco), right up to the bottle-fermented beauties like Crémant.

It’s this latter category that’s causing the most excitement in the sparkling category as they’re delivering the ideal stepping stone between house fizz and Champagne. Following the same production method as Champagne, you can find Crémants from most of the French wine-producing regions with Alsace and Bourgogne (Burgundy) representing around 50% of France’s production. Currently, France’s Crémant output sits at around 110 million bottles, which is around a third of Champagne and is steadily growing.

The Loire produce almost as much Crémant as Burgundy and focus mainly on their native grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc but also permit Chardonnay and Pinot Noir too as well as several other more obscure, native varieties. Production is strictly controlled under the AOC rules with no less than 12 months ageing on the lees before disgorgement (removal of sediment before final corking). Star producers like Florent Baumard at Domaine des Baumard make outstanding low-intervention Crémants which will compliment any wine list.

Head south down to Limoux, in the Languedoc Roussillon, and you’ll find not one but two sparkling gems. Crémant de Limoux, whilst made in relatively small volumes, is one of the best versions of Crémant in France if you like Chardonnay-based sparklers. It tends to be joined by Chenin Blanc and the local variety Mauzac, which I’ll come back to shortly. Pinot Noir was also added to the list in 2003. As with other Crémants, it must be aged on the lees for at least 12 months which adds those delicious toasty, autolytic flavours.

The second and considerably older sparkler is Blanquette de Limoux, based on the Mauzac grape. Dubbed Blanquette, due to the white coating on its leaves, it has to make up at least 90% of the blend with the remainder comprising just two other varieties; Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. The méthode ancestrale version was said to have been discovered by local monks in 1531, pre-dating Champagne by over 160 years, making it the oldest sparkling wine in the world.

Blanquette must be aged for at least 9 months on lees which adds a nice complexity to the wine and Mauzac gives the fizz a characteristic apple skin and floral influence making it quite unique.

Spain’s Alternative Sparkling Wines

Most of Spain’s sparkling wine production is represented by cava, most of which is exported (just over 85%). It’s slightly ironic that cava earned itself a reputation through the 80s, 90s and noughties for being a ‘cheap fizz’ given that it’s always mimicked Champagne’s production methods. Prosecco’s meteoric rise over the past decade has given both cava producers and the governing D.O pause for thought and allowed them to fine tune their definitions and correct their market positioning. It’s also encouraged a new wave of artisans to break onto the scene and raise the overall quality, further justifying this re-positioning.

In 2020, the regulatory board for cava approved a new zoning system and redefined the ageing categories to add greater transparency for consumers. Alongside the Comtats de Barcelona (cava’s spiritual home which centres on the town of San Sadurní d’Anoia), are the zones of Valle del Ebro around the Rioja region, Viñedos de Almendralejo in the south-west close to Badajoz and the yet to be named Levante Zone near Valencia.

There are two main quality categories of cava determined by their minimum ageing, Cava de Guarda and Cava de Guarda Superior. Cava de Guarda is the youngest and must age on the lees in bottle for at least 9 months. Cava de Guarda Superior is further divided into three levels each with their own ageing requirements; Reserva (18 months minimum), Gran Reserva (30 months minimum) and Paraje Calificado (36 months minimum).

Estates like Can Macià near San Sadurní d’Anoia are making elegant versions of cava which combine complexity and freshness and again, offer terrific value versus Champagne.

As our own sparkling wine production continues to prosper at the premium end of the fizz market, these alternative European sparklers provide a real opportunity to break the mould and offer a point of difference to your customers. Maybe it’s time to explore some of these currently under-valued wines. Your customers won’t be disappointed!