Sparkling winemakers in France's Savoie region are set to join an elite club able to use the term 'Cremant' on labels, after gaining approval from officials.
France’s appellation body has said that Savoie wineries producing sparkling wines by the traditional Champagne method can use the term ‘Cremant‘ on labels for wines from the 2014 harvest.
The first wines could not be released until the end of 2015, according to the strict production rules.
The news is a first tentative step towards Savoie gaining a fully-fledged ‘Cremant de Savoie‘ appellation; something local producers have campaigned for several years to achieve.
Other Cremant appellations already existing in France include Cremants de Bourgogne, Alsace, Loire and Limoux.
French newspaper Le Dauphine quoted the head of Savoie wine body CIVS, Pierre Viallet,as saying Cremant de Savoie could be a ‘spearhead’ for the region’s wines across France and in foreign markets.
In April this year, the director of France’s national appellation body, Jean-Luc Dairen, wrote to Savoie member of the French Assembly, Bernadette Laclais, to say that France’s agriculture ministry would push for European Union-wide recognition of a new Cremant de Savoie denomination.
Written by Chris Mercer
