Perhaps my favourite is Crémant de Loire. Frequently hand-crafted, artisanal merchandise, these wines are based mostly across the Chenin blanc grape and complemented by Chardonnay and the crimson Cabernet franc, amongst others. Crémant de Bourgogne, made principally from Chardonnay and Pinot noir, can justifiably name itself Burgundy's reply to champagne. It's recent and delicate; mix it with crème de cassis to make the Burgundian aperitif Kir.
To the east of Burgundy, the mountainous Jura area, well-known for its sherry-like yellow winemakes the scrumptious Crémant du Jura from Burgundy's Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot gris grapes, blended with the native white selection Savagnin and reds Poulsard and Trousseau.
Crémant de Limoux is arguably the place all of it started, in western Languedoc, practically 500 years in the past. The Abbey of Saint-Hilaire, close to Limoux, is alleged to be the birthplace of bottle-fermented glowing wine in France. Made from Chardonnay and Chenin blanc blended with Pinot noir and the native white Mauzac, white Crémant de Limoux is a citrus bubbly with mouth-watering hints of grapefruit, whereas as a rosé it reveals recent strawberry flavors.