This post was originally published on this site
MY FIRST FRENCH sparkling wine wasn’t Champagne but a low-budget Loire Valley bubbly. The Gratien & Meyer Brut Crémant de Loire fit my budget and palate way back when. It was bright, clean and fruity, and, most important, it was cheap—around $6 or $7 a bottle. I bought Gratien & Meyer whenever I wanted something sparkling but gave it up as soon as I could afford to drink Champagne. And although I occasionally purchased cheap sparkling wines from other parts of the world, I never bought Gratien & Meyer again or, for…