Alasia Moscato d’Asti, Italy 2014
(£6.45, rannochscott.co.uk)
Softly fizzy, light in alcohol, gently sweet and full of grapey and floral aromas with just a splash of freshening citrus, Moscato d’Asti is the wine to have with strawberries and cream, but works just as well as an end-of-meal pick-me-up. The definition of easy summer drinking.
Marks & Spencer Lambrusco Secco Reggiano, Emilia Romagna, Italy NV
(£9, marksandspencer.com)
A different proposition from the Lambrusco that props up the bottom shelf in the supermarket, this sparkling red is a proper wine, with tannins, dark cherries and chocolate that work brilliantly with barbecued meat or parmesan cheese.
Tesco Finest 1531 Blanquette de Limoux 2012
(£10.99, tesco.com)
Limoux is a cooler part of the Languedoc in southern France, specialising in styles more familiar with regions further north. It does a particularly neat line in good value fizz, using the local mauzac variety to conjure up crisp, honeyed green apple flavours.
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Colet Vatua! Penedès, Spain NV
(£15.95, robersonwine.com)
Using the aromatic moscatel and gewürztraminer grape varieties alongside the traditional Catalan cava variety parellada brings an exotic aromatic intensity to this punchy, fruity Spanish fizz, which is a considerable cut above the usual high-street cava fare.
Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs, Robertson, South Africa 2009
(£14.50, slurp.co.uk)
Graham Beck is a consistently excellent provider of Cap Classique fizz, the Cape wineland’s answer to champagne. This all-chardonnay cuvee is a brilliant combination of buttery pastry and clean-cut apple flavours with a super-fresh finish.
Jansz Premium Cuvée, Tasmania, Australia
(£13.50, henningswine.co.uk)
Tasmania is the source of Australia’s best champagne-style sparkling wines, and Jansz is deservedly one of the island’s biggest names, here crafting an elegant, racy white blend of chardonnay and pinot noir with a nutty edge to the juicy apple and lemon fruit.
Hush Heath Estate Balfour 1503 Brut, Kent, England NV
(£29.99, majestic.co.uk)
If you buy two bottles then this poised, vivid non-vintage brand from Hush Heath, one of England’s foremost sparkling producers, is excellent value at £19.98. If you’re only after a single bottle, try the equally good 1503 Oasthouse at £22 from M&S.
Waitrose Brut NV Champagne
(£19.99, waitrose.com)
Made for Waitrose by one of my favourite champagne houses, Piper and Charles Heidsieck, this is an exceptional value non-vintage fizz, balancing its full patisserie richness with a jolt of brisk acidity and green-apple freshness and suave, svelte bubbles.
Champagne Hébrart Cuvée de Réserve Premier Cru, France NV
(£25, thewinesociety.com)
Champagnes made by growers have brought a new lease of life to a region that sometimes takes itself a little too seriously, and they can be excellent value, too. None more so than this very graceful but still full-flavoured pinot noir-dominated wine from Jean-Paul Hébrart.
Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 737, France
(from £42.95, bbr.com)
The small champagne house Jacquesson speaks in code: 737 indicates a wine made largely from 2009 fruit, blended with a little older wine. For me, it just pips the recently released 738 (from 2010), but both are riveting, precise, ultra-dry champagnes.
