Brits discover ‘the new Prosecco’ as sales soar ahead of summer

There's a new favoured fizz on the block...

Brits still get through an impressive 130 million bottles of prosecco each year, with nearly 25 percent of Italy's exports of the sparkling wine coming to our shores.

However, a French sparkling wine is looking to challenge its supremacy - and no, don't worry for your wallet, it's not champagne.

Crémant comes from a outside of the Champagne region, but is made using the same technique as the luxury tipple.

“Champagne will always be the icon of the sparkling world,” buyer for Waitrose wine Alexandra Mawson told i News.

"But recent pressures on household finances have meant customers have looked to crémant as a great value alternative.

"More people are now aware of this French sparkling wine, which is produced using the same method as champagne but doesn’t hold the same price tag, as it’s made outside of Champagne with less restrictive ageing regulations."

Crémant has seen a massive increase in popularity, with Waitrose reporting a whopping 51 percent increase in sales of the booze, and M&S’ Crémant de Bordeaux has been selling 47 percent more than normal.

Richard Halstead from International Wine & Spirit Research said that although prosecco "still leads in terms of consumption," the tide is turning.

"There are signs that the category may be doing less well. Fewer see it as high-quality or good value for money," he said of the Italian export.

Despite prosecco being a staple of the British night out, it seems some outlets are already sacking off the drink.

Luke Payne of the Packhorse pub in Hayfield, Derbyshire, revealed they have stopped stocking prosecco and swapped it out for crémant.

"Sales were slumping and the other sparkling alternatives we had – English sparkling and champagne – were too much of a step up in price for people wanting casual fizz," he said.

"So crémant was the answer. It’s affordable for people but offers complexity and intrigue rather than just straight fizz.

"We stock Cave de Marsigny Crémant de Bourgogne, so a 100 per cent chardonnay sparkling wine from Burgundy, which obviously has its own connotations of luxury without the price point of a champagne."

If you want to get a taste of crémant for yourself, there are lots of supermarket options available.

Lidl offer Crémant Alsace for just £8.49, with Aldi's offering being Crémant du Jura for just £7, but you'll be lucky to find it in stock.

Sainsbury’s have Crémant de Loire available for  £10.50 a bottle, and Waitrose sell Crémant de Bourgogne blanc de blanc for £15.99.

Related links:

Beloved alcopop Reef returns to shelves after two decades away

Experts warn Prosecco could no longer exist soon