Too posh for prosecco but not on a champagne budget? Crémant is the answer… as sales of the French sparkling wine soar at Waitrose and Tesco
It was once a niche choice enjoyed only by the most informed sparkling wine enthusiasts… but now Britons have woken up to crémant.
Dry and budget-friendly, the French premium sparkling wine is the perfect choice for drinkers avoiding the sickly-sweet taste of Prosecco and the steep price tag that accompanies champagne.
The booming fizz, which can hail from several regions in France, including the Loire Valley, is made using the same process as its costly rival – but price points typically range from £8 to £18, unlike the £45 Moet & Chandon or £50 Veuve Clicquot.
And in a country where the effects of the cost-of-living crisis are still abundant, customers are looking for quality and lower prices – with sales of crémant showing just that.
According to new Tesco sales data from Dunnhumby, crémant sales rose in the supermarket by 73 per cent in 2025, while exports to the UK have surged by a fifth.
Waitrose has witnessed a 63 per cent surge in sales of the category compared to this time last year, while the £15.50 Prince Alexandre Crémant de Loire and the Cave de Lugny Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs have recorded growth of 89 per cent and 106 per cent, respectively.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, award-winning wine writer Helena Nicklin explained the reasons behind the boom: ‘Prosecco democratised sparkling wine; we loved that it was cheaper than champagne. But then we realised that the DOC stuff that we get in the UK is simple and sweet.
‘People were craving something that was a little bit drier, that leans a bit more towards the champagne style, but without the champagne price, and crémant absolutely fits that bracket.
The premium sparkling is the ideal choice for drinkers avoiding the sweet taste of Prosecco and the price tag of champagne (stock image)
‘You can find a good one for £12, sometimes £10, which is a hell of a lot cheaper than a branded champagne.
‘Crémant hits that sweet spot between something a little bit drier that is like champagne in taste but not in price.’
Director of crémant at Les Grands Chais de France, Denis Couralt, told trade publication The Grocer: ‘It’s the ideal purchase for the current market: it feels like champagne, but it’s priced for everyday use.
‘We’re seeing growth not only in the core appellations but also across lesser-known regions, driving both trade-up and repeat purchases’.
Despite France having ruled the sparkling wine market for centuries, England is now coming for that title.
Gone are the days of dinner party hosts wincing as their guests hand them a bottle of ‘the UK’s finest’; now, English sparkling wine is in high demand among customers, with brands such as Chapel Down increasing in popularity.
It’s a phenomenon primarily due to global warming, with climate change enabling a new generation of winemakers to cash in on climate change as vineyards are now flourishing in England’s balmy temperatures.
‘For typically cooler countries, such as England, global warming has actually resulted in temperatures being better suited to growing grapes than they were 20 or 30 years ago,’ Michael Kennedy, CEO of English Sparkling Wine brand Roebuck Estates, said.
Kennedy added: ‘In the southeast of England, it is estimated that average temperatures have risen by approximately 1.4 degrees since the 1980s, which means that we now have a very good climate for growing grapes, particularly for sparkling wine.’
While it’s benefitting the UK, with vineyards reaching as far north as Scotland, it’s interfering with business in warmer countries. Kennedy said: ‘Looking more broadly, global warming is a real concern and has had a significant impact on wine production around the world.
‘For some hotter regions, they are starting to become too hot, which is impacting the growing of their grapes… which also means that some traditional wine producing areas are now finding it more challenging to grow grapes of the right quality.’
The stumbling block for UK winemakers? Changing the attitudes of a world hooked on the prestige of Champagne, or as Cherie Spriggs, head winemaker at English sparkling wine brand Nyetimber, said, it’s challenging the misconception that Champagne is considered ‘safer’.
‘England is still a newcomer when it comes to winemaking, and regions like Champagne are better known and therefore perhaps considered ”safer” by a lot of people,’ she said.
Cherie continued: ‘At Nyetimber, we prioritise quality over everything else, and we tend to win people over to English sparkling wine simply by encouraging them to taste our products. Then, they often return for another glass, or bottle.’
