Champagne Taste on a Sparkling Water Budget
Even if you haven't had any exciting occasions or big wins recently that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate everyday victories. Folded your clean laundry instead of leaving it in a pile on the couch for a week? Good job - pop a cork. Successfully adhered to the meal plan that you prepared and shopped for without breaking mid-way and getting takeout? Well done, you – pour yourself a glass. Regardless of what you’re celebrating, there’s nothing that adds to a celebration like some decent fizz. The one slight issue: unless you’re cashed up to Oprah levels, celebrating the smaller things in life can do some serious damage to the bank balance if you’re cracking a bottle of Champagne each time. So, we’re going to take a look at some brilliant fizz that’s loads of fun and a lot less expensive.
Jelmas Extra Dry NV, La Tordera
Starting things off with a bang! Jelmas is crafted by the very skilled team at La Tordera, who have been pioneers for ecological, socio-cultural and economic sustainability for years. They also happen to be masters of fizz, producing incredible wines ranging from Prosecco to less traditional wines like the Jelmas. Interestingly, Jelmas is made in a similar style to Prosecco but isn’t made using Glera (which is the main grape permitted in Prosecco production), but not being tied to a single grape means that La Tordera have been able to blend a beautiful little fizz that’s a real party starter without the premium “Prosecco” pricing.
Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé, NV, Patriarche
Rosé diehard, this one is for you. Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé is an insanely delicious fizz made predominately from Pinot Noir. It’s made in the same production style as Champagne (Traditional Method - with the secondary fermentation occurring in bottle), which gives the same generous richness on the palate and added complexity. This is a classy party fizz. It’s classy because of the quality and it’s perfect for a party because of the price.
La Tordera Alnè DOC Prosecco, La Tordera
Okay, okay. We couldn’t talk about non-Champagne bubbles without mentioning the Queen herself, Prosecco. It’s estimated that each week, the UK drinks over 8,000,000 litres of Prosecco and that annually over 35% of all Prosecco is consumed in the UK. In short, we bloody love the stuff. The Alné DOC Prosecco from La Tordera is a showstopper. This isn’t your run of the mill supermarket, mass produced flavourless fizz. This is fruity, refreshing and expertly balanced – the sort of Prosecco that the Italians would want to keep all to themselves. Also, the bottle is made from recycled glass and the vineyard use organic, vegan and sustainable practices, so it practically entitles you to wear a halo while sipping.
If you loved our recommendations, we certainly recommend you don't stop there, check out our full sparkling wine collection!