A champagne from Aldi has become the second best selling bottle of fizz in the UK - only behind Moët & Chandon.
The Aldi budget booze is called Veuve Monsigny and is priced at just £13.99 - less than half the price you'd pay for Moët & Chandon, which can cost almost £40 per bottle.
As a cost of living crisis grips UK families, it may come as no surprise that the cheap plonk has become the second-best seller, having overtaken Lanson.
This is according to new figures from the data firm IRI, published by The Guardian, which places only Moët & Chandon above the Aldi champagne in terms of sales.
Veuve Monsigny is made exclusively for the supermarket by the French producer Philizot & Fils, run by husband and wife Stéphane and Virginie Philizot in the Marne valley in the Champagne region.
It is matured for over 48 months, which is two and a half years longer than the minimum requirement for champagne and more than 12 months longer than any other UK supermarket own brand.
The cheap plonk has also won several awards over the years including most recently a bronze award at the International Wine Challenge.
Judges described the budget booze as having a “floral palate, fresh with little development but beautiful balance and restraint”.
Veuve Monsigny also placed second in a national taste test of champagnes carried out by Good Housekeeping last year.
But Aldi has had to put the price of its champagne up by £1 this year compared to Christmas 2020.
Do you rate the Aldi champagne? Let us know in the comments below.
The impact of supply chain issues this year has pushed champagne prices up by 8% in the three months to September, according to figures from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association.
Julie Ashfield, managing director of Buying at Aldi UK, says: “It might have shocked people to discover Aldi was behind such a great tasting glass of bubbly, but their enjoyment was no surprise to us.”
In its annual champagne taste test, the consumer group Which? ranked offerings from Waitrose, Tesco and Marks & Spencer above Aldi.
Aldi was also beaten by rival Lidl who was singled out for its Veuve Delattre Brut as the “great value pick”.
Veuve Delattre Brut was described as “subtle, complex aromas, fresh acidity and clean, fruity taste” and costs just £12 a bottle - meaning Lidl shoppers save around £2 compared to buying from Aldi.
Waitrose, Tesco, M&S, Lidl and Aldi all beat Moet & Chandon in the Which? taste test.
