Wine expert Jilly Goolden rates budget sparkling plonk as she puts seven Italian Proseccos and one English fizz to the taste test
As prosecco sales shoot up, we are here to guide you through the best supermarket sparkles - at prices you can afford
IF you are a fan of fancy fizz, you are very far from alone.
Sparkling wine sales have shot up 80 per cent in the past five years.
And if you can’t resist a glass of bubbles — with a price tag that won’t make you wince — look no further.
Wine expert Jilly Goolden is here to guide you through the best supermarket sparkles. Jilly says: “The Brits love bubbly, that is a fact. And we can hardly get enough of it.
“Panic-buying has even been reported in case stocks run short. But there is a new bright star in the sparkling constellation – English sparkling wine is the trending luxury fizz.
“We have perfect conditions in the south of England for making first-class sparkling wine from the same grapes and in the same labour-intensive method that is used to produce Champagne.
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“But what do we turn to on a budget? It’s that summer favourite, Prosecco. It is made from different grapes in a much more industrial method than English sparkling wine, which is why it generally comes in at under a tenner a bottle.”
But which one is best?
Here, Jilly puts seven Italian Proseccos and one English fizz to the taste test, and scores them out of five.
Lidl Allini Prosecco Frizzante 2015, £4.99
“FRIZZANTE” means slightly fizzy whereas “spumante” means sparkling. Smells like bubblegum car freshener and is nearly flat. But cheap! Serve extremely chilled.
SCORE: 3
Tesco Plaza Prosecco, £6.50
BIG bouncing bubbles but a whiff of wet cardboard. Fresh at first sip, then harsh like licking a battery. Not for me.
SCORE: 2
Asda Prosecco Extra Dry, £5.48
GOOD price, though a bit of a bitter taste. Leafy like a damp forest with a harsh, metallic note at the end. Unloveable.
SCORE: 3
Sainsbury’s Prosecco Brut Winemaker’s Selection, £7
SLIGHT pink ice lolly association but smooth and flowery like orange blossom. A sweet, sugared almond note creeps in on the finish. A little too sweet.
SCORE: 4½
Co-op Prosecco, £7.49
A BIT soapy – where’s the fruit? A bit like fermented spinach. No joy. I’d save your money.
SCORE: 1
Aldi Valdobbiadene Extra Dry Prosecco, £7.49 LOSER
ODDLY enough Extra Dry means slightly sweet (“brut” actually means dry). This is like rosewater with a hint of instant mash potato. Attractive label, but little else going for it.
SCORE: ½
Morrisons Borgo delle Civette Extra Dry, £5.75 WINNER
DELICIOUS fruit salad scent, then tastes generous and creamy with a fresh buzz of acidity. Great price – you could enjoy it all evening.
SCORE: 5
And if you want to spend a bit more on a British fizz, try . . . Waitrose Ridgeview Bloomsbury 2014 English sparkling wine, £19.99
MADE from Champagne grapes and has a brilliant bouquet of honeycomb, peach and a hint of strawberry. Mouth-filling, generously fruity but dry and refreshing. Expensive but worth it if you have the extra cash.