The Wine"You just introduced us to the Crémant wines from France, what is this Mousseux thing?!"
It's the OTHER non-Champagne French sparkling wine, a general term describing any French sparkling wine made outside Champagne. And while Alsace is one of the few regions that can use the term "Crémant" (along with Burgundy, the Loire Valley, Jura, Savoie and Limoux) such wines must be fermented in the bottle, in the traditional Champagne style. Not so with mousseux - these wines can (and usually do) undergo secondary fermentation in tank, as do Proseccos and many Cavas. Pro tip - neither Crémants nor mousseux are required to use the traditional Champagne grapes, and many are made from regional varietals - Pinot Gris in Alsace, for example - but this one is 100% Chardonnay.
This cheap and cheerful bottle of bubbles pours with a nice bead of bubbles and a simple but appealing nose that follows through on the palate. I'd use this to upgrade any meal where beer might be an option. Seriously, get a case, enjoy the 10% discount, and swill it. You will be spoiled, I guarantee.
The Winery
This is a new import for us, and I am enthusiastic about its future here in the states. Alsace is now within French borders, just this side of Germany, but the two countries have ping-ponged Alsace several times over the last centuries, and the people from there are a mix of the two cultures. The street signs are in both languages even.
