Graduation special: Faking the fizz
The price tag on a bottle of "proper" champagne - one that has come from the Champagne region of France - is often enough to put a dampener on any celebration the drink was bought for in the first place.
So is it worth trying a cheaper alternative to the real thing, or will the disappointment kill the moment?
Generally, there are some great bottles of bubbly about, which serve the purpose by offering the traditional "pop" and even taste quite good.
Pick the "traditional method" versions because they are made in the same way as champagne and often from the same grapes, such as Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. The main difference is that it is made somewhere other than Champagne - often the New World or other parts of France.
From the deep south in the western Languedoc there is a 1997 Blanquette de Limoux, Cuvèe Princesse d'Aimery, available from Unwins at under £7 a bottle, or a Cremant de Loire or Langlois Brut made from the Chenin Blanc grape, which offers a distinctive taste not too far from that of champagne itself.
Cava is one example of an alternative to French bubbly. The sparkling wine comes from north-eastern Spain and is made from grapes such as Parellada, Macebeu and/or occasionally Chardonnay.
The standard has improved greatly over the years, despite its reputation for being cheap and cheerful. Marks & Spencer does a good value bottle, while a more expensive version is often by the Moet champagne house under the name Chandon Spain.
The New World is now well known for producing great contenders in the world of fizz. Seaview, for example, offers enough fruity flavours to convince all but the most hardened bubbly drinkers that they have anything but the real thing. Also available as a superior 1995 vintage Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, this is a good label to look for.
Taltarni Brut Tachè is almost as expensive as supermarket champagnes but is an unusual, delicately pink bubbly with a nice selection of aromas.
New Zealand's Pelorus comes from the same stable as Cloudy Bay and its non-vintage is a very pleasant drink indeed, but is around the £12 mark, so not necessarily a cheap bubbly alternative.
Whatever the occasion, there is nothing like a bottle of bubbly to put some sparkle into any social gathering. Whether it is the real thing or not is really a matter of choice - and taste - so cheers!
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