The term was introduced at the end of the 1980s when the EU banned the term Méthode champenoise outside the French Champagne region. In the past, some houses also used this term to describe a champagne with a lower carbon dioxide pressure, but this is no longer common today. The designation is now used in France for quality sparkling wines produced outside Champagne using the Champagne method. The regulations vary slightly depending on the appellation. However, they all require whole-cluster pressing, a maximum must yield of 100 litres per 150 kilograms of grapes, a maximum of 150 mg/l sulphur dioxide and at least one year of ageing, including nine months on the lees. Classified appellations in France are Crémant d'Alsace, Crémant de Bordeaux, Crémant de Bourgogne, Crémant de Die, Crémant de Limoux, Crémant de Loire and Crémant du Jura. Luxembourg has a Crémant de Luxembourg.
In the past, the term Crémant was reserved for quality sparkling wines produced in France or Luxembourg. The Spanish producer Codorníu, who marketed one of his sparkling wines under the name "Grand Crémant de Cordoníu", took legal action against this protected designation. The European Court of Justice ruled on 18 May 1994 that "Crémant" was not a designation of origin but a production method for sparkling wines and therefore could not be reserved as it was. This meant that the term "Crémant" was no longer bound to a specific origin and could also be used in other countries. However, as this term was used for products with strict production regulations and had achieved a certain degree of recognition, minimum conditions were laid down in an EU regulation.
Crémant must be produced using traditional bottle fermentation. The must must be obtained using a special form of pressing (known as whole bunch pressing) and the maximum yield must not exceed 100 litres per 150 kg of grapes. The term "Crémant" may only be used in conjunction with the name of the specific growing region, for example "Crémant Rheinhessen" in Germany. The adoption of the term "Crémant", which was previously uncommon in Germany and Austria, is to be seen as a replacement for the term Méthode champenoise, which is no longer permitted and is reserved for champagne. The acceptance of the new term is low in winegrowing practice. It is rarely used in Germany and Austria.
For the production of alcoholic beverages, see Champagne (sparkling wines), distillation (distillates), spirits (types), winemaking (wines and wine types) and wine law (wine law issues).
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Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien