Party pieces and festive spirits
Oh good grief, it’s that time of year again. Bloomin’ Christmas! I swear it gets earlier every year. There were mince pies and Christmas pudding in my local supermarket on 31 August. Just saying. It’s enough to drive one straight to the bottle. Talking of which…
Do get some fine but simple fizz in. It needn’t be – shouldn’t be – expensive, just drinkable. And I’m afraid that splashing your hard-earned do-re-mi on BOGOF supermarket champagne is a false economy: decent, well-priced sparkling wine (and I don’t mean crappy cava) is better than cheap champagne.
The Graham Beck Brut NV (£12, Majestic), for example, is ridiculously tasty. From South Africa, it’s an absolute belter, created by the legendary Pieter ‘Bubbles’ Ferreira. Crisp, clean, fresh and slightly toasty, it’s way, way better than many thrice-the-price champagnes. For a few quid more, there’s the exemplary Langlois-Chateau Crémant de Loire Brut NV (£16, Private Cellar), a strikingly fine sparkler from Saumur. Blended from Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, it’s as fine a non-champagne French fizz as you’ll
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