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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 full of fizz for parties and impromptu gatherings?<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Champagne is admittedly my bubbly of choice - I love both poised, elegant styles with brisk <br> <br> acidity and the richer, pastry-like, gastronomic pours.<br> <br> But with Christmas all about sharing, toasting, and big get-togethers, stocking up <br> <br> is essential.<br> <br> <br> <br> Consumer group Which? has named Tesco Finest Premier Cru Brut <br> <br> Champagne the best Christmas fizz, outclassing Moët & Chandon's Brut Impérial.<br> <br> The supermarket fizz costs just £25 a bottle, but many popular Champagnes are priced over £40.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> With that in mind, I'm sharing my secrets for sparkling swaps that keep <br> <br> both the palate and the wallet happy.<br> <br> <br> <br> <u><strong>Bollinger Champagne, £58</strong></u><br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Swap for? Langlois Crémant Brut Réserve NV, £15.95</b><br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Saving: £42.05 a bottle </b><br> <br> <br> <br> For Bolly bling without the sting, head to the Loire Valley,<br> <br> where the Bollinger family crafts this Crémant using <br> <br> the same traditional method as their Champagnes. Made primarily from Chenin Blanc,<br> <br> which thrives in the Loire, it undergoes 24 months of aging, delivering <br> <br> a Crémant with depth that offers a charming twist on Bollinger's rich Champagne style - with change to <br> <br> spare.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <u><i>Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne, £280</i></u><br> <br> <br> <br> <strong><u>Swap for? Roederer Estate Quartet NV, £32</u></strong><br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Saving: £248 a bottle </b><br> <br> <br> <br> Renowned producer Louis Roederer is the name behind the iconic Cristal Champagne - a prized <br> <br> choice among celebrities, especially when served in a flashy jeroboam,<br> <br> complete with sparklers in the ‘VIP section' of nightclubs.<br> <br> But if the £270 price tag brings tears to your eyes, try Cristal's Californian cousin, Quartet.<br> <br> <br> <br> Crafted in the cool Anderson Valley, it offers a taste <br> <br> of luxury for almost a tenth of the cost.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Laurent Perrier Rosé Champagne, £80</b><br> <br> <br> <br> <i><u>Swap for? Morrisons The Best Crémant De Limoux Rosé NV, £12.50</u></i><br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Saving: £67.50 a bottle </b><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 at five times the price.<br> <br> And here's a little-known fact: legend has it that the art of fizz was first discovered <br> <br> in Limoux, in the South of France - though our friends in Champagne may disagree.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Ace of Spades Champagne, £315</b><br> <br> <br> <br> <strong>Swap for? Segura Viudas Brut Vintage Premium Cava, £12</strong><br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Saving:  £303 a bottle</b><br> <br> <br> <br> For showstopping-style on a shoestring, skip Harrods, forget Jay-Z's red-carpet-ready <br> <br> ‘Ace of Spades' and head to Sainsbury's for Segura Viudas premium <br> <br> cava, complete with a shield that's delightfully close to <br> <br> a spade. For the price of one bottle of that Champagne, you could <br> <br> bag 26 bottles of this classy cava - and, honestly, after a few glasses, <br> <br> who's noticing the difference?<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <u><strong>Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Champagne, £89</strong></u><br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Swap for? Fortnum's Franca Contea Franciacorta Brut NV, £26.50</b><br> <br> <br> <br> <u>Saving: £62.50 a bottle</u><br> <br> <br> <br> ‘Blanc de Blancs' meaning ‘white of whites' <br> <br> is the name for bubbles made solely from white grapes <br> <br> - typically Chardonnay in Champagne, delivering elegance and finesse, à la Ruinart.<br> <br> Prices have crept up as Blanc de Blancs become all the rage, but <br> <br> hop over the border to the hidden gem of Franciacorta in Lombardy, northern Italy, and you'll find complex, vinous sips with plenty <br> <br> of flair, like this Fortnum's pick.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <u>Pol Roger Champagne, £55</u><br> <br> <br> <br> <u><strong>Swap for? Graham Beck Selection Sparkling Wine, £13.50</strong></u><br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Saving:  £41.50 a bottle</b><br> <br> <br> <br> I served these delicious South African bubbles at my wedding - quaffed in record time, with nobody <br> <br> realising it wasn't Champagne. As well as my own big day, Graham <br> <br> Beck has made an appearance at state events for Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama, earning it the title <br> <br> of ‘presidential pick' for sparkling wine. And you'll save a few quid compared to other politician favourites, like Pol Roger.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <u>Mumm Champagne, £39</u><br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Swap for? Mumm Marlborough Brut Prestige, £25</b><br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Saving:  £14 a bottle</b><br> <br> <br> <br> From Marlborough, New Zealand's premier region and home of top Brit sip, Sauvignon Blanc, comes a fresh take <br> <br> on fizz. Blessed with sunshine and a cool climate, Marlborough produces wines that are vibrant and crisp.<br> <br> <br> <br> Here, a blend of traditional Champagne varieties - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, <br> <br> and Pinot Meunier - offers an easy-drinking, bright character,<br> <br> 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> <b>Veuve Clicquot Champagne, £48</b><br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Swap for? Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut NV, £14.99</b><br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Saving:  £33.01 a bottle</b><br> <br> <br> <br> First launched over a decade ago at £12.99, Aldi has miraculously <br> <br> kept their best-selling Veuve Monsigny Champagne under £15.<br> <br> <br> <br> For a sprightly, quaffable style, it's unbeatable <br> <br> at that price - perfect for Buck's Fizz at Christmas Day <br> <br> brunch, canapés, and a refreshing post-turkey sip.<br> <br> It's worth mentioning that the Premier Cru label at £21.99 is a real step up and fantastic value too.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Moët & Chandon Champagne, £44</b><br> <br> <br> <br> <u>Swap for? Chandon Brut Argentina, £23</u><br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Saving: £21 a bottle </b><br> <br> <br> <br> From Champagne giant Moët & Chandon, Chandon Brut is a Champagne-style bubbly from Mendoza, <br> <br> Argentina. If you're thinking Mendoza is known for its <br> <br> hot climate and big, bold Malbec reds, think again - <br> <br> 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 <br> <br> of my debut wine book, Wine: Taste Pair Pour - the perfect stocking <br> <br> filler for everyone, from novices to connoisseurs. With every page filled with stylish illustrations and photos,<br> <br> it brings the world of wine to life - dive in to discover <br> <br> your favourite grapes and styles, master the art of food pairing, and buy and serve wine with confidence.<br> <br> Available at Amazon, Waterstones and all major bookstores.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Review my site :: <a href="http://dosaaf.Shadr.ru/user/BiancaB5078377/">ช่อดอกไม้จัดเอง</a>
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