Lovely Bubbly

I know that advice is only appreciated if you ask for it in the first place. Take being pregnant, for example. A largely – literally – good experience bar the unsolicited advice thrown at you from the moment your up-the-duffness becomes public knowledge. But advice is usually given with your best interests at heart and sometimes, just sometimes, you may live to regret that good advice you just didn’t take. Alanis Morisette even sang about that last bit. So, here’s my unsolicited advice on what to buy if you are buying something with bubbles in this week.

Tesco Cava, £3.99 on offer, Tesco.com
Pimp this traditional method (meaning the bubbles got there when the wine was fermented for a second time in the bottle) sparkling with a brandy-kissed sugar cube and instantly spruce up an unbelievably cheap fizz. One for when the neighbours drop in for a drinkspotty. 

Cordoniu Vintage Cava Brut, £6.99 half price, Tesco.com
If you want to stick with unadulterated Cava, go for this Vintage one. Better quality grapes from a single year make this a step up from the basic stuff. Honestly, it is worth spending that little bit extra for a whole lot more quality. Dry, lemony and fresh, it is indeed lovely bubbly. 

Tesco Finest* Prosecco, £7.99 on offer, Tesco.com
Prosecco is the sparkling wine made in the Veneto region in Italy and is made in a different way to Champagne and traditional method sparkling wines such as Cava, with the second ferentation (the bit that adds the bubbles) happening before the wine is bottled, usually in great big tanks. The wine is not as complex as traditional method sparkling wines but they do serve an important purpose; namely being soft, sherbert-like and not as cheek-sucking as Champagne and Cava. Prosecco also tends to be slightly lower in alcohol. I will be adding a tiny dash of Campari to mine to make it Dirty. 

Tesco Finest* Premier Cru Champagne, £14.99 on offer, Tesco.com
I’ve written about this wine before. I am very, very fond of it as I used to source this wine back when I was a buyer. It is made by a co-operative winery in a very smart Grand Cru (meaning best-rated quality) village and knocks spots off other Champagnes that are two or even three times as expensive. I kid you not. It is a blend of Chardonnay & Pinot Noir and is all I could want from Brut Non Vintage Champagne. Toasty, elegant and really brilliant value. 

Next week: more advice you didn’t ask for x

ps – the lovely Michelle over at The American Resident did actually ask for my advice about mulled wine. Nip over to hers to see what I told her.