A merry fizz-mas

There is only one way to lift this current malaise and economic gloom and that is with a glass of fizz. If we all pop the corks on sparkling wine this season then we won’t be able to hear Europe’s currency collapsing around us and our spirits will be lifted sufficiently to cope with whatever crisis appears next.

Champagne is the fizz of choice for many, but it doesn’t have to be; there are plenty of good sparkling wines from New Zealand, Italy and Spain, giving excellent flavours and in some cases a lot better value for money.

As always there are shelves full of half-price offers, some of them worth their full price but many masquerading as great value but in fact hiding thin acidic wines. To save you disappointment I have done the hard work for you by lining up some of the best deals and tasting the wines. Here is my selection of the best buys this Christmas.

Under £10

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Undurraga Brut, Chile, Majestic, down from £6.99 to £5.49 until January 30: Vastly improved in the last 12 months, and made from the classic grapes of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, this has light, bright melon and peach flavours with a crisp finish. Good enough to pour for a roomful of people.

Taste the Difference Prosecco Conegliano 2010, Sainsbury, down from £10.49 to £6.99 until January 3: The quality of almost all Prosecco has shot up in the last two years but this one shines out of the glass with balanced floral aromatics and a fizzy, frothy taste that ends almost dry. Everyone in the family will enjoy this, from granny to students.

Asti, Marks and Spencer, £7.99: Not on offer but terrific value, although maybe it should be put on prescription for the good of the nation. It’s bright, grapey aromas and balance of sweetness and clean acidity mean that it makes you smile when you drink it. Family friendly at only 7.5 per cent alcohol, you can put it with cakes and desserts. But frankly this is a mid-morning, mid-afternoon or suppertime wine.

Lindauer Brut Cuvée, New Zealand, Majestic down from £10.99 to £7.99 until January 30: Clean, fresh and with a layer of toasty brioche on the finish, this is a great value, good-tasting wine, but if you can find another £1 you can trade up to the Lindauer Special Reserve which has soft, raspberry-edged fruit and a terrific balance of flavours, with an elegant, long toasty finish. There is a hint of pink, which makes it even better.

£10 to £15

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Sainsbury Blanc de Blancs Champagne NV, down from £20.99 to £13.99: An eye-catching offer and a definite bargain. This is a clean style of champers, with crisp apples and pears flavours. A good aperitif.

Louis Chaurey Champagne NV, Marks and Spencer down from £30 to £15 until January 1: Half price champagnes are usually disappointing since they are rarely worth their full money and this one conforms to that pattern, however it is cracking value at £15. It has good concentration with meaty, yeasty complexity and won’t let you down if you pour it as an aperitif this Christmas.

Tesco Finest Premier Cru Champagne, down from £19.99 to £14.99 until January 3: Unlike the M&S offering, this really is worth its full price. It regularly wins prizes in blind tastings, and this year won Gold in the International Wine Challenge. Balanced, yeasty and long this is a supermarket champagne you can be proud to pour.

Cloudy Bay Pelorus NV, New Zealand, Majestic, down from £16.99 to £14.99 until January 30: Pure elegance and complexity makes this well worth its price. It has layers of toast and lime marmalade with a style that could come from Reims.

£15 to £20

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Waitrose Brut NV Champagne, Magnum 1.5 litres, down from £39.99 to £31.99: The wow factor you get from a magnum of champagne means that your party will be remembered long into the New Year, and at this price it works out at just £15.99 a bottle’s worth. Long, nutty flavours with a creamy finish make this a good choice to put alongside canapés and starters.

Canard Duchêne Champagne 2005, Majestic down from £29 to £19 until 30 January: A brand that is steadily climbing the quality ladder and this vintage champagne packs generous flavours, elegant structure and a long finish – all for a bargain price. This is a fizz to see you though the whole of Christmas Day.

Oudinot Brut NV, Marks and Spencer, down from £23 to £18 until January 1: A favourite fizz that consistently delivers rounded elegant flavours and balance. It spends two years on its lees, gathering flavour and finesse, but won’t come to any harm if you buy too much and have to keep it until next summer.

Taste the Difference English Sparkling Brut 2007, Sainsbury £19.99: Surprise your guests with this crisp, clean English wine that shows we really are challenging the world with our quality fizz. Made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and bottle fermented in the traditional way, this is an aperitif-style wine.

£20 to £30

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Champagne St Gall Blanc de Blancs Premier Crus NV, Marks and Spencer down from £27 to £22 until January 1: There is a lot of competition out on the shelves, but it really is worth paying £22 for this wine. The grapes come from the best slopes of the Côte des Blancs and the wine has depth and complexity as well as clean, palate-cleansing freshness.

Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV, Majestic, down from £39 to £27 until 30 January: I think this is the cheapest I have seen Roederer for years, so snap it up and try not to drink it too soon. Delicious now, but it will keep and those flavours will just build and improve.

GH Mumm Cordon Rouge NV, Waitrose, down from £31.99 to £25.59 until January 3: Another brand which is now hitting its price point with confidence and quality. A broad-flavoured fizz with plenty of body and toasty notes, drink this as an aperitif, then carry it through to dinner.

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