A better class of bubbly, my tips for the big night—
As we say cheerio to 2015, spare a thought for winemakers in the southern hemisphere who within a few short weeks will embark on a frenzy of harvesting and fermenting the new 2016 vintage. But here at home it’s time to crack open the bubbly and raise a glass as we make – and break – our New Year’s resolutions.
I’ve got just one this year to share with you: drink a little bit less but a whole lot better.
If you’re opening a top bottle on New Year’s Eve, my big tip is to make it the first one while your palate is fresh, before moving on to better value options. I shall be sipping English sparkling wine, and my top producers include Furleigh, Gusbourne, Wiston, Hattingley, Camel Valley, Nyetimber, Ridgeview and Chapel Down.
If there’s a gang of you, big bottles are fun, and camelvalley.com is offering a Methuselah (eight bottles) of its sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé 2012 for £399. It’s nothing short of a whopping great treat.
More modest magnums (two bottles) can actually save a few pennies if you’re throwing a big-scale bash – check out my Prosecco tip from M&S below for £20, or splash out on Ayala’s Brut Majeur Champagne for £48 from thechampagnecompany.com.
Prosecco is still hugely popular and at £7 on offer until December 31, Asda’s Extra Special Prosecco is the one to nab. But Spanish Cava also has some decent value among supermarket own-labels such as Tesco Cava Brut NV (11.5 per cent) for £5.
Even more glorious are reliable big names such as Codorníu, whose Reina Maria Cristina 2013 is outstanding, on offer at £10 a bottle from tesco.com/wine.
And for the best balance of quality as well as value, my pick is Crémant – fizz made in the same method as Champagne but from outside the Champagne region in France. If you pick the right bottle, you can make every day in 2016 feel like New Year’s Eve.
OLLY’S PICK OF THE BUNCH
CRACKING CREMANT: Aldi Philippe Michel Crémant du Jura 2012 (12%) £7.29 Aldi. Still the steal of the year for fizz, 5 star quality for a shooting star price.
BRILLIANT BARGAIN: Sainsbury’s Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne NV (12%) £15 Sainsbury’s. This gold medal winning stunner is on offer until 1st Jan – buy it all.
MAGNIFICENT MAGNUM: Marks and Spencers Prosecco Magnum NV (11%) £20 Marks & Spencer
BRING OUT THE BIG GUNS! Taittinger Champagne 2008 (12.5%) £46.99 Waitrose. Mainly grand cru vineyards from a top year, it’s as classy and precise as a tightly wound vintage watch.
WINE OF THE WEEK
Le P’tit Spencer Corbières (14%) £7.49 Adnams Cellar and Kitchen. Peppery herby spices streak through this juicy Southern French gem. Weeknight wonderwine
WHERE I’VE SIPPED RECENTLY
Australia House, London. Jansz Aussie fizz with Rick Stein and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh celebrating Sir Richard Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef.
This column was originally published in EVENT Magazine, Mail on Sunday 27th December 2015.
