Date night during a pandemic with Crémant de Bordeaux (#Winophiles)

There’s little to celebrate these days, what with a pandemic threatening people’s lives and shutting schools and businesses. Through it all, we need to keep our spirits up. No time like the present to pop open a bubbly and find a good movie to watch – at a safe social distance from others.

Don’t have a significant other or pet to join you? No worries! Even if you’re alone, treating yourself well during this crisis will go a long way toward reducing stress. (Disclaimer: spoken as a wine specialist, not a doctor!)

Of course, any bubbly you’ve saved for a pandemic (as one does) will work just fine. My choice is Crémant de Bordeaux, because the French Winophiles blogging group is focusing on this lesser-known sparkling wine this month.

Bordeaux is home to some of the world’s most prestigious, mostly red, still wines. Only a small percentage of total production is sparkling. I searched the Pennsylvania state store system online for any Crémant de Bordeaux I could find nearby. Only six bottles of one – a 2017 Calvet Brut Rosé – were available where I live. We got to the store a couple of days before the statewide closures, scored our Crémant, and immediately put that baby on chill for date night.

At the end of this post, you’ll find links to all the bloggers’ posts. If reading this in time, hope you will join us Saturday, March 21, beginning at 8 am ET, for a Twitter chat. Simply follow the hashtag #Winophiles.

What is Crémant de Bordeaux?

Crémant de Bordeaux is one of eight French Crémant (French for “creamy”) and the name of all sparkling wines produced in the Bordeaux region using the methode traditionelle, the same fermentation method used to make Champagne. Winemakers have been making sparkling wines in Bordeaux since the 1800s, but Crémant de Bordeaux did not have an official appellation (geographic place name) until 1990.

Rather than Champagne grape varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier), the same grapes that go into the region’s red and white still wines are used to make Crémant de Bordeaux: Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (with lesser quantities of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Carmenère) for sparkling rosés, and Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle for sparkling whites. To qualify as Crémant de Bordeaux, grapes must be picked by hand and the wine aged for a minimum of 12 months.

Methode traditionelle wines are known for their tight, persistent bubbles, compared with wines made using the Charmat process – in which the secondary fermentation takes place not in the bottle, but in a large, closed, pressurized tank.

Calvet wines – A history

A French négociant with an extensive portfolio of wines, Calvet’s primary focus is on producing and selling value Bordeaux wine from grapes and juice supplied by many small growers and winemakers.

“Calvet makes wines from several of Bordeaux’s more prestigious Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) wine regions, such as Saint-Émilion and Margaux, but its signature wines are value-priced red Bordeaux AOC. On top of its own-label wines, Calvet distributes a number of wines from other Bordeaux châteaux that carry their house names on the label.” – wine-searcher.com

Calvet traces its lineage to 1799, when founder Jean Marie Calvet was born in the Rhône valley. During his childhood, Jean Marie often helped his father in the family-owned vineyards instead of playing with boys his own age.

At 19, Jean Marie established the Calvet Company and traveled throughout France to learn the trade. In 1823, he set up shop in the heart of Bordeaux city, the quartier des Chartrons. In 1870, Octave Calvet, the founder’s son, took over and built a château in the Médoc, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary. In 1889, the founder’s great-grandson established Calvet Beaune in Burgundy.

Calvet has changed hands multiple times in its history. At one time a subsidiary of the now-defunct major beverage company Allied Domecq, the company was bought in the mid-2000s by Les Grans Chais de France. Wines are currently exported to more than 110 countries.

Date night pairing

• The wine: 2017 Calvet Crémant de Bordeaux Brut Rosé (100% Cabernet Franc)

My tasting notes: Pale salmon in color. Fruity and slightly bready aromas of freshly baked peach pie. More of the same on the palate with a touch of cream. Finishes on a beautiful, bright grapefruit note. Tiny, persistent bubbles, as one would expect in a Crémant. Off dry with medium acidity and a medium finish. Alcohol: 12.5%. Price: $17.99.

• The movie: Ford vs. Ferrari

Set in 1966 – but ignoring the turbulent events of that decade – Ford vs. Ferrari is the real-life story of American car designer Carroll Shelby and British mechanic/driver Ken Miles. They team up to compete against Enzo Ferrari at the 24-hour Le Mans in France. Matt Damon and Christian Bale lend the film star power. With fast-paced action and tense energy, Ford vs. Ferrari is both entertaining and distracting. Almost forgot we’re in the midst of a pandemic.

• The appetizers: Popcorn, Comté cheese and crackers, crabmeat salad

To avoid an unnecessary trip to the grocery store, I used what we had on hand for appetizers. That meant substituting dried for fresh tarragon and diced red onion for chives in the crabmeat salad. I didn’t have sour cream but didn’t miss it. The salad was yummy and light enough to pair with a fruity Crémant. Popcorn is a reliable go-to for any bubbly, and mild and nutty Comté cheese is the new love of my wine life. Seems to pair with any wine. Sushi and shellfish would be super with this Crémant, too.

The Winophiles have lots of ideas for your next bubbly. Check out the blogs listed below and plan to join us virtually on Saturday, March 21!

• Cam at Culinary Adventure with Camilla shares Definitively Bordeaux: Cannelés + Crémant without the Champagne Price Tag #Winophiles
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass enjoys Date night during a pandemic with Crémant de Bordeaux (#Winophiles)
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest introduces Crémant de Bordeaux, Sparkling wine from the land of big reds #Winophiles and showcases Biodynamic Crémant in Bordeaux #Winophiles
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles introduces Bordeaux Bubbles? #Winophiles
• Jeff at Wine Food Click! takes A Stroll Around Saint Emilion with a Visit to Les Cordeliers #Winophiles
• Cindy at Grape Experiences says Welcome Spring with Amelia Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé and Raspberry Clafoutis #Winophiles
• Terri at Our Good Life serves Warm brie, cool bubbles #Winophiles
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator tells Clink Different with Cremant: Bordeaux’s Sparkling Wine Paired with Crab Cakes, Squash Fritters, and the Daughters of Dada #Winophiles
• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm serves Wilted Spring Greens Soup with Amelia Brut Rose #Winophiles
• Susannah at Avvinare enjoys Cremant de Bordeaux, An Unexpected Pleasure #Winophiles
• Pinny at Chinese Food and Wine Pairings Drinks Cool Malesan Crémant de Bordeaux and Eats Chinese Hotpot #Winophiles