'The best bottles of fizz to drink this summer - and why you should buy them now'

So instead of addressing all these requests individually, I thought I would list the best choices and the best deals for fizz here and because retailers launch new offers every few weeks, I will try to flag up great deals as they come up over the summer months.

But don’t delay buying until the last minute.

Most sparkling wine appreciates a few weeks of lying down before the cork is popped, so, if you can resist the temptation to drink it early, buy when you see the best deal and keep it until it is needed.

Crémants

Step aside Prosecco, the wine of the moment is Crémant. Crémant is the name given to sparkling wines, produced in selected areas around France.

The name means ‘creamy’, and it is produced in Bourgogne, Loire, Alsace, Limoux, Bordeaux, Jura and other regions.

Because it is a quality French wine, there are all kinds of regulations which determine how it is made. It has to be a traditional in-bottle fermentation, and the wine must be aged for a minimum of nine months on lees to allow the flavours to develop.

As a comparison, Champagne is also subject to the same rules of fermentation.

The real key to all the different Crémants is that these wines are made in a very traditional, controlled way, but because they are not from the hallowed ground of Champagne, they offer classic, dry, elegant styles with at prices that give great flavour for money.

Exceptional Crémant d’Alsace NV Brut, Asda £12 down to £10 on Rollback: Local Alsace grapes Auxerrois and Pinot Blanc give zesty citrus fruit with floral notes and a fresh finish. Perfect as an aperitif.

Etoile de Timberlay, Crémant de Bordeaux Brut, NV, Marks and Spencer £11: Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes give this dry elegant white fizz plenty of red apple flavour, herbs and a lemony finish.

Langlois Crémant de Loire Brut Rosé NV, France, Waitrose £20 down to £15 until June 23: A pale pink fizz made from Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir grapes provide aromas of red fruits and peaches, ripe strawberry flavours and a thread of citrus across the palate.

Picnics

Head for fun, fruity, fizz for picnics, but make sure the wine stays chilled. If you dunk the bottles in a river, make sure you tie them to a stake, so they don’t get swept downstream.

Lambrusco Reggiano NV, Marks and Spencer, £8: Made from 100% Lambrusco grapes, this is a dry, fizzy, frothy deep red raspberry-filled wine.

There is enough acidity to cut through a pork pie and enough fruit to stand up to a plate of grilled Cumberland sausages. Above all, it is a fun wine. Serve well chilled in tall glasses so you can see the froth.

The Colour of Spring, Sparkling Rosé 2025, Vin de France, Majestic £12 on a mix six deal: 100% Cinsault grapes made into an easy-drinking, fruity style with nothing more complicated than an injection of carbon dioxide to give it some fizz. Thirst-quenching and definitely enjoyable.

English Fizz

Any kind of garden party needs to have English fizz in the glass. The fresh, tree-blossom aromas and garden-fresh citrus flavours are just perfect for the occasion.

Balfour ‘1503’ Rosé, Kent, Majestic £23 on a mix six deal: Pale salmon pink colour with delightful, crushed raspberry and cherry aromas and a rounded, red fruit palate, balanced with fresh citrus and a long finish. Terrific flavours for money.

The Best English Sparkling Grand Reserve Brut, Morrisons £24: The source of this wine is ‘Rolling Green Hills’, which is just another name for one of the smartest and best English vineyards. Made from the three classic grapes and aged for 6 years this has taste well beyond its price point with rounded toasty brioche and clear citrus freshness.

Leckford Estate Blanc de Blancs Brut, Hampshire, England, Waitrose down from £35 to £25 until June 26: Waitrose have their own farm in Hampshire where they have planted vines to make their own wine. This is made from Chardonnay grapes, and it has aromas of baked apples, with a fresh, bright palate and toasty complexity.

Champagne

The Champagne region has been having a hard time, which means only one thing, there are some good prices out there and maybe more coming through in the next few weeks.

Cattier Premier Cru Brut Champagne NV, Majestic £31 on a mix six deal: This comes from an independent, family-owned Champagne house which started out over 400 years ago with a few vineyards in the village of Chigny-les-Roses in the Montagne de Reims.

Now with huge underground cellars and a tendency to produce rounded elegant, Pinot-dominant wines, they are at the forefront of quality Champagne.

This Premier Cru wine has been aged for four years and is a fruit-forward, peach and brioche style, that works well as an aperitif and through a buffet lunch. Great value.

Taittinger Brut Reserve NV, Tesco down from £44 to £36 until June 15: This is a terrific price for such a big-name Champagne. With fresh-tasting complex flavours, Taittinger is a favourite for summer Sunday sipping, but I like to buy well ahead and keep it for at least six months.

I have bought my Christmas stock already.

Henriot Rosé Champagne NV, Roberts and Speight, £49.99: Famous for its elegant, generous Champagnes, I have a particular fondness for the creamy wild strawberry notes in Henriot’s Rosé Brut.

Made with a perfect balance of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with just a small amount of Meunier, this is a serious, precise Champagne and it is equally at home with some smoked salmon nibbles or as a toast to the bride and groom.

Unusually for an upscale champagne house, the winemaker is female.

Alice Tétienne has qualified and trained in some of the best Champagne Houses, and it is a delight to encounter such a competent woman in charge of such a prestigious House.