The best bubbles for the bank holiday – including a new £7 winner at Asda
If you've been shopping for fizz recently, you will have noticed newcomers among all the prosecco and crémant. A lot of newcomers. In the past few weeks, I've tasted sparkling vermentino from Australia's Strathbogie Ranges, fizz from Argentina's Famatina Valley, and bubbles from the shores of Lake Garda, to name a few.
As a committed crémant drinker, I've approached these newer sparkling wines with suspicion bordering on hostility. It's clear why they are here. Sales of crémant continue to soar: up by 19 per cent in Waitrose compared to the same time last year. And sparkling wine generally is so wildly popular that producers all over the world are keenly pivoting towards it, while supermarket buyers seek variety as well as cheaper alternatives to plug holes in their ranges as the price of crémant rises alongside demand.
Of course, I love tasting new wines. There's always a thrill to finding out what lies underneath the cork. But novelty for novelty's sake is not at all alluring. Any type of wine has to prove its worth to make it into my fridge – or my list of recommendations. So I'm pleased to report that some of the new sparkling wines are actually rather good, particularly if you're shopping on a budget.
Skip to:
The best crémants
The best alternative bubbles
A word about crémant first, because the choice on the shelves has proliferated in the past year or two, making it more interesting but also more complex to navigate. If you've yet to try it, my hot tip is crémant d'Alsace. I've long loved crémants from the Loire and Limoux, as well as Burgundy and Bordeaux, but crémant d'Alsace is now in most supermarkets, from Asda to Waitrose, and it's delicious.
With crémant, each region has its own range of permitted grape varieties. In Alsace, these varieties include pinot blanc, riesling and pinot gris. The blends (and therefore the wines) vary a lot but pinot blanc and riesling bring compelling freshness, while pinot gris brings subtle florals; think meadow flowers rather than highly scented freesia.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
AFL champ and Triple M radio star Peter 'Spida' Everitt lists four-bedroom Gold Coast townhouse for $2.3million
AFL champ and Triple M radio host Peter 'Spida' Everitt has set out to score a major real estate win after listing his sprawling Gold Coast pad for $$2.3million. The 51-year-old footy veteran bought the four bedroom, three bathroom, two-storey townhouse with his wife Sheree in 2024 for $1.4million. Located in a high security gated community in sought after Sanctuary Cove, the couple splashed out on a redesign and update straight after the purchase. Sheree Everitt told the Gold Coast Bulletin on Thursday that the renovations included major construction work on the property. 'It was 17 years old and in need of a renovation when we bought it,' she told the publication. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'So we ripped out quite a few walls and made the living area open plan, redid every part of the house internally and redid the roof. 'We went with really clean lines, beautiful marble benchtops in the kitchen and bathrooms and made it really user friendly.' The couple, who have now renovated five homes in the last few year, say they plan to buy once more in Sanctuary Cove. Features on the their latest project include a vast undercover al fresco BBQ and entertainment area. There's also a media room and family room adjoining the main living areas. The kitchen, meanwhile, boasts a pantry and a large breakfast island, while the upper floor hosts the bedrooms and a private study. Built only minutes from the Coomera River, the home is 100 metres from an exclusive 'residents only' boat ramp. The gated community includes 24 hour security patrols, while the home has a new alarm system. Situated 20 km from the Gold Coast CBD, Sanctuary Cove is known as a resort style community and boasts a marina and two famed golf courses - The Pines and The Palms. Everitt played 291 games in a career in first class footy that kicked off in 1993. Beginning his career with the 203 cm high ruckman retired after a stint with the Sydney Swans between 200-2008. He also played for Hawthorn between 2003-2006, after exiting St. Kilda in 2002. Everitt has been hosting Triple M Gold Caost breakfast show for 11 years and features in the current line up alongside Leisel Jones, and Liam Flanagan. He his own a travel show, The Great Australian Doorstep with his wife Sheree, which airs on Channel 7Two.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Inside Australia's ultra-private 'Yellowstone set': Society insiders reveal the REAL elites quietly making a fortune in the country - and they're leaving city slickers in the dirt
When we think of high society in Australia, our minds go straight to Sydney's harbourside mansions or Melbourne 's leafy boulevards. But beyond the city limits, a new kind of elite is thriving.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Bec Judd slips into $9000 outfit during rustic getaway with the family in Victoria's Mornington Peninsula
Rebecca Judd has expensive tastes. The AFL WAG is on a long weekend escape with her family and made sure to dress to the nines. The 42-year-old is on a 'rustic' getaway in in Victoria's Mornington Peninsula and shared some updates from the trip to Instagram. In one set of photos, Bec slipped into an outfit that was just a few bucks short of $9100. The fashion designer sported an Ena Pelly leather brown trench coat which rings in at $960. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Bec paired the coat with YSL patent leather boots that sell for an eye-watering $2900 online. She added a luxury bag in the form of the Odyssée Monogram Canvas bag from Luis Vuitton which sells for an incredible $4,850. The social media star also had on trousers and a top from her own brand, Henne, and while she did not specify which, Henne pants cost around $199 and the tops average at $189. In addition to showing off her outfit, Bec also gave her fans a glimpse at the cosy vacation alongside her four children and husband Chris Judd. It comes after Bec Proved that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree as she recruits her daughter Billie into the world of influencing. On Thursday, she enlisted the help of the 11-year-old to make several sponsored posts to her Instagram Stories to thank a bath and body brand for freebies. 'What have you got there?' Bec asked her daughter on-camera, who 'woo-hooed' as she unboxed a gift set from All Kinds in her school uniform. Billie dutifully held up the press materials inside the box for the camera before Bec read them aloud. 'We've got a mini Spongebob, we've got shower foam, and bubblegum,' she said as she sat down to unbox the baby pink gift pack. 'Yeah try it,' Bec encouraged gently, as Billie reached for a lip balm. Bec has been posting clips and images of Billie to her Stories more frequently in the past 12 months as her second-eldest child enters her tweenage years. The model and influencer shares four children - Oscar, 13, Billie, 11, and twins Tom and Darcy, eight - with retired footy great Chris. In March, the Melbourne-based rich lister booked a $5,000 private suite at Rod Laver Arena Billie could watch Billie Eilish in style on her Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour. Bec took to Instagram, where she documents her lavish lifestyle to 752,000 followers, to memorialise the big night out, first sharing a picture of the mum and daughter duo beaming for a mirror selfie. In a recent fan Q&A, Bec characterised her daughter as 'a weapon at everything'. Describing her children's personalities, she added: 'Oscar: kind, responsible, smart, diligent.
