Francesc Ricart Cava Brut (from £7.98, Cambridge Wine; The Sampler; The Vineking) Buck’s fizz is still many people’s first drink on Christmas morning. I prefer a kir royale myself – a finger of crème de cassis (Aldi’s Specially Selected Crème de Cassis at £6.99 is a good buy) topped up with a decent but not super-expensive sparkling wine, such as Borgo Regio Franciacorta Brut 2012 (£8.99, Lidl) or Francesc Ricart’s subtly floral cava – both of which are excellent buys even if you’re planning to drink them au naturel. If it has to be buck’s fizz, I’d go for something a little less obviously acidic (there’s enough acidity in the orange juice). A decent, sweetish prosecco, such as Marks & Spencer’s Prosecco (£8) works best, just as it does with peach juice in a bellini.
Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2009 (from £31.75, Hennings Wine; Slurp; Berry Bros & Rudd) The world of sparkling wine is so much more diverse than it used to be, and fine fizz is no longer confined to a handful of regions. Contenders for this year’s Christmas bubbles chez Williams range from the utterly thirst-quenching red cherry and subtle tannins of Italian red fizz Chiarli Pruno Nero NV (£12.95, Great Western Wine), great with cold cuts; the racy redcurrants of Jansz Tasmania Premium Rosé (£17.50, Oddbins); the gentle, spring-blossom foaminess of Michele Chiarlo Moscato d’Asti 2015 (£7.40, Booths); and a fine example of the English sparkling style by arguably this country’s finest wine producer, a 100% chardonnay from West Sussex’s Nyetimber.
Winemakers’ Selection By Sainsbury’s Blanc de Noirs Champagne NV (£20, Sainsbury’s) If it has to be Champagne, there are some good buys in the supermarkets. Sainsbury’s has a fine pair in its Winemakers’ Selection range: both the savoury Blanc de Noirs NV and the graceful Blanc de Blancs NV are a snip at £20, while the Co-op’s Les Pionniers Brut NV (£16.99) is as creamily interesting as ever. For sheer quality, however, the gloriously rich Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV (£37.95, Slurp) must be the best value around, while Larmandier-Bernier Latitude Extra Brut NV (£34.95, Lea & Sandeman) is a luminous laser-guided passage from 2016 into, let’s hope, a better new year.
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