Sparkling wine is the perfect party drink. We’ve picked our selection of the best bottles of affordable fizz for this Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Champagne
Wow wow wow. For the money, this Champagne is exquisite. An absolute
bargain. So much wine for £19. Elegant, fine, crisp, intense. Buy some.
This Champagne spends 30-36 months in the bottle during the second
fermentation, which is longer than the average for Champagne. The Chardonnay
grapes come from Premier and Grand Cru vineyards near Avize, and the Pinot Noir
comes only from the Grand cru villages of Bouzy and Ambonnay.
Tesco Finest Premier Cru Brut Champagne, Tesco, £17 (save 25% when you buy six or more. Usually £19)
Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir
This is one of the best value
supermarket Champagnes out there. It’s quite often on offer below £10, which is
a bit of a bargain. It’s made by Champagne house Philizot & Fils, which is
one of the smaller houses. Peachy, a bagful of apples, a lovely creaminess and
a nice acidity. Nothing too complex about it, but that doesn’t make it less
enjoyable.
Pinot Noir (90%) and Chardonnay (10%)
This is another good value for money champagne:
it’s smooth, ripe and elegant. It also has a lovely biscuity toastiness to it,
and will go very nicely with lighter pastry starters, or simply as an aperitif.
It will happily stand up against some of the big bruts in the champagne world.
Italian fizz – prosecco and Franciacorta
Tesco, Finest Franciacorta
Chardonnay (80%) and Pinot Bianco (20%)
I’ve been singing the praises of Franciacorta for a good while now, and it’s great to see a relatively
inexpensive (and good) bottle in a supermarket. This Tesco Finest example is
produced by Castel Faglia. The nose is lemony and doughy – reminds me
of a lemon and poppyseed muffin. It’s got a delightful green apple note that gets
a bit creamy towards the end, and soft bubbles. If you see bottle of this, do
get your hands on one, especially if you haven’t yet tried Franciacorta.
Aldi Prosecco Superiore DOCG
Glera
Floral, ripe apples, peachy tones, not
too sweet, and with a refreshing acidity, a DOCG wine for this price is good
value. DOCG is the highest classification of quality among Italian wines. And
when it comes to prosecco, a DOCG one has to be produced in the Treviso
province of Veneto on the hills between the towns of Conegliano and
Valdobbiadene. Specific.
Glera
This is my go to supermarket prosecco,
and has been for a few years. It’s not too sweet, has fine bubbles, and yummy floral,
apricot and citrus notes. Unfortunately though, it’s rather easy to drink.
Crémant
Calvet Brut Rosé, Crémant de Bordeaux 2016
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
I’m not sure if I should be recommending this wine or not, as it
is deliciously moreish. It’s fruity, aromatic, and complex, with a long finish.
It’s such a lovely colour too, and much dryer than the blush pink would
suggest. It’s perfect as both an aperitif, or to serve with dessert, especially
if you’re having a lighter, fruit-based pud. This Crémant is made in the same way as a
Champagne, with a second fermentation in the bottle for 11 months before
disgorging and dosage.
Sémillon and Cabernet Franc
If pink isn’t your thing, Calvet’s Brut Crémant is also lovely. With Crémant, you’re getting a champagne-quality product at a prosecco price, and it’s a good one to try if you fancy something a little different. This wine is fresh and balanced, with fine bubbles, and it tastes like melon and brioche. The Brut has a second fermentation in the bottle for nine months, before disgorging and dosage.
Chenin Blanc (85%) and Chardonnay (15%)
This Crémant
is a little sweeter, but is still a perfect party sparkler. It’s also just as
delicious in summer as in winter. It’s full of vibrant berry flavours with
Galia melon. This is one to have with your smoked salmon blinis on Christmas
Day morning.
English sparkling wine
Greyfriars sparkling classic cuvee 2013
46% Chardonnay, 36% Pinot Noir & 18% Pinot Meunier
English sparkling wine is still on the pricier side, but this Greyfriars’ cuvee is surprisingly affordable at £20 a bottle. It’s bone dry, and packed with green apple and lemon flavours. On the nose, it’s minerally (it’s the only one of Greyfriars’ wines that hasn’t been oaked) with zesty citrus and green apple. And there are plenty of bubbles. There are only 11,000 bottles of this vintage, and they’re getting down to the last few, so it’s the last chance you’ll have to taste it.
Bluebell Vineyard, Hindleap, blanc de blanc 2014
100% Chardonnay
Bright, fine bubbles, rich in the mouth, and a very long finish. It’s super fruity, with sharp pink grapefruit, and softer melon. Perfectly delicious to drink today – and drink it I have, with fabulous fish and chips from Fosters in Alderley Edge – but it will keep for a good few years too.
Chapel Down Three Graces 2014
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier
I’ve had this wine a few times now, and it’s one I really love. It’s great value for the price, and it’s got a lot going on. It’s got aromas of baked apple pie, and some of that rich sweetness comes through when you taste it, mixed with a crisp acidity. Smooth, fine bubbles.
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