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'Tis the season for decadence and a touch of sparkle - and what better way to bring festive cheer than a fridge <br> <br> full of fizz for parties and impromptu gatherings?<br> <br> <br> <br> Champagne is admittedly my bubbly of choice - I love both poised, elegant styles with brisk acidity and the richer, <br> <br> pastry-like, gastronomic pours. But with Christmas all about <br> <br> sharing, toasting, and big get-togethers, stocking up is essential.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Consumer group Which? has named Tesco Finest Premier Cru Brut Champagne the best Christmas fizz, outclassing Moët & <br> <br> Chandon's Brut Impérial. The supermarket fizz costs just £25 <br> <br> a bottle, but many popular Champagnes are priced over <br> <br> £40.<br> <br> <br> <br> With that in mind, I'm sharing my secrets for sparkling swaps <br> <br> that keep both the palate and the wallet happy.<br> <br> <br> <br> Bollinger Champagne, £58<br> <br> <br> <br> Swap for? Langlois Crémant Brut Réserve NV, £15.95<br> <br> <br> <br> Saving: £42.05 a bottle <br> <br> <br> <br> For Bolly bling without the sting, head to the Loire Valley, where the Bollinger family <br> <br> crafts this Crémant using the same traditional method as their Champagnes.<br> <br> Made primarily from Chenin Blanc, which thrives in the Loire, <br> <br> it undergoes 24 months of aging, delivering a Crémant with <br> <br> depth that offers a charming twist on Bollinger's rich Champagne style - <br> <br> with change to spare.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne, £280<br> <br> <br> <br> Swap for? Roederer Estate Quartet NV, £32<br> <br> <br> <br> Saving: £248 a bottle <br> <br> <br> <br> Renowned producer Louis Roederer is the name behind the iconic Cristal Champagne - a prized choice among celebrities, especially <br> <br> when served in a flashy jeroboam, complete with sparklers in the ‘VIP <br> <br> section' of nightclubs. But if the £270 price tag brings tears to your eyes, try Cristal's Californian cousin, Quartet.<br> <br> Crafted in the cool Anderson Valley, it offers a taste of luxury for almost a tenth of the <br> <br> cost.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Laurent Perrier Rosé Champagne, £80<br> <br> <br> <br> Swap for? Morrisons The Best Crémant De Limoux Rosé NV, <br> <br> £12.50<br> <br> <br> <br> Saving: £67.50 a bottle <br> <br> <br> <br> If you're after something pink, grab this super chic Crémant de Limoux from Morrisons - delivering luxe for less.<br> <br> With a delicate effervescence and notes of strawberries and cream, it hints at pink Champagne <br> <br> at five times the price. And here's a little-known fact: legend has it that the art of fizz was first discovered in Limoux, in the South of France <br> <br> - though our friends in Champagne may disagree.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Ace of Spades Champagne, £315<br> <br> <br> <br> Swap for? Segura Viudas Brut Vintage Premium Cava, £12<br> <br> <br> <br> Saving:  £303 a bottle<br> <br> <br> <br> For showstopping-style on a shoestring, skip Harrods, forget Jay-Z's red-carpet-ready ‘Ace of Spades' and head to Sainsbury's for Segura Viudas premium cava, complete <br> <br> with a shield that's delightfully close to a spade. For the price of one bottle of that Champagne, you could bag 26 bottles of this classy cava - <br> <br> and, honestly, after a few glasses, who's noticing the difference?<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Champagne, £89<br> <br> <br> <br> Swap for? Fortnum's Franca Contea Franciacorta Brut NV, £26.50<br> <br> <br> <br> Saving: £62.50 a bottle<br> <br> <br> <br> ‘Blanc de Blancs' meaning ‘white of whites' is the name for bubbles made solely from white grapes - typically Chardonnay in Champagne, delivering elegance <br> <br> and finesse, à la Ruinart. Prices have crept up as Blanc <br> <br> de Blancs become all the rage, but hop over the border to the hidden gem of Franciacorta in Lombardy,<br> <br> northern Italy, and you'll find complex, vinous sips with plenty of flair, like this <br> <br> Fortnum's pick.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Pol Roger Champagne, £55<br> <br> <br> <br> Swap for? Graham Beck Selection Sparkling Wine, £13.50<br> <br> <br> <br> Saving:  £41.50 a bottle<br> <br> <br> <br> I served these delicious South African bubbles at my wedding - quaffed in record time, with nobody realising it wasn't Champagne.<br> <br> As well as my own big day, Graham Beck has made an appearance at state events for Nelson Mandela and Barack <br> <br> Obama, earning it the title of ‘presidential pick' for sparkling wine.<br> <br> <br> <br> And you'll save a few quid compared to other politician favourites, like <br> <br> Pol Roger.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Mumm Champagne, £39<br> <br> <br> <br> Swap for? Mumm Marlborough Brut Prestige, £25<br> <br> <br> <br> Saving:  £14 a bottle<br> <br> <br> <br> From Marlborough, New Zealand's premier region and home of top Brit sip, Sauvignon Blanc, comes a fresh take on fizz.<br> <br> <br> <br> Blessed with sunshine and a cool climate, Marlborough produces wines that are vibrant and crisp.<br> <br> Here, a blend of traditional Champagne varieties - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier - offers <br> <br> an easy-drinking, bright character, and a great value sub for Mumm's beloved bubbles.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Veuve Clicquot Champagne, £48<br> <br> <br> <br> Swap for? Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut NV, £14.99<br> <br> <br> <br> Saving:  £33.01 a bottle<br> <br> <br> <br> First launched over a decade ago at £12.99, Aldi has miraculously kept <br> <br> their best-selling Veuve Monsigny Champagne under £15.<br> <br> <br> <br> For a sprightly, quaffable style, it's unbeatable at that price - perfect for Buck's Fizz <br> <br> at Christmas Day brunch, canapés, and a refreshing post-turkey sip.<br> <br> <br> <br> It's worth mentioning that the Premier Cru label at £21.99 is a real step up and fantastic <br> <br> value too.<br> <br> <br> <br> Moët & Chandon Champagne, £44<br> <br> <br> <br> Swap for? Chandon Brut Argentina, £23<br> <br> <br> <br> Saving: £21 a bottle <br> <br> <br> <br> From Champagne giant Moët & Chandon, Chandon Brut is a Champagne-style bubbly from Mendoza, Argentina.<br> <br> If you're thinking Mendoza is known for its hot climate and big, bold Malbec reds, think again - Chandon's vineyards are situated in the foothills of the <br> <br> Andes at over 1,000 metres, where cooling influences help retain that desirable freshness in the grapes.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br>  <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> For wine lovers craving more tips, don't forget to pick up a copy of my debut wine book, Wine: Taste Pair Pour - the perfect stocking filler <br> <br> for everyone, from novices to connoisseurs. With every page filled with stylish illustrations and photos, it brings <br> <br> the world of wine to life - dive in to discover your favourite grapes and styles, master the art of food pairing, and buy <br> <br> and serve wine with confidence. Available at Amazon, Waterstones and all <br> <br> major bookstores.<br> <br> <br> <br> Feel free to visit my web blog ... ดอกไม้ใกล้มือสะดวกใช้ - http://xn--299a15ywuag9yca76m.net/bbs/board.php?bo_table=free&wr_id=59707
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