All the jolliest to you and yours for a very merry Christmas! Before I tempt you to pop the best bubbly imaginable I’d like to thank you for your kind comments and remarks, including the bubbly couple in Manchester last week who rushed up to reveal they’d booked a wine tour to Santorini after reading this column and had the time – and hangover – of their lives. Always a pleasure to share a good yarn, especially over a glass, so consider this your official instruction from Wine HQ to put your feet up and open something splendid.
It’s no secret that I love English fizz. Look out for Bluebell Vineyards zesty Hindleap Blanc de Blancs in M&S for £24 (and Waitrose for the Rosé at £26). Camel Valley, Ridgeview, Wiston, Gusbourne and Sugrue-Pierre are all stellar producers, and I’d like to give a special mention to Breaky Bottom down the road from me in Sussex.
Across the Channel in France, my pick of the Champagne producers for a treat on New Year’s Eve is Charles Heidsieck. The straight Non-Vintage is a bullseye (£43 at thewinesociety.com) or if you want to go berserk, try their Blanc des Millenaires 1995. Expect to pay in the region of £120 from merchants such as Justerini & Brooks or online from websites such as Lea & Sandeman.
Another option is Deutz 2012 – tasting superb for £65 from Fortnum & Mason – but for a more modest spend, hunt own-label Champagne such as Aldi’s Veuve Monsigny NV for £10.99 – unbeatable for the price. It also pays to look out for crémant, such as Lidl’s Crémant de Bourgogne for £7.99.
Of course, Spanish Cava has its gems – chief among them the wines of Gramona, which you can find at bbr.com.
But whatever you choose to pop this New Year’s Eve, here’s to you – and may your 2018 start with a joyful bang.