The first of this year’s festive round-ups is sparkling wines – any kind of alcoholic fizz except Champagne (Champagne will follow). They’re in ascending order of price, give or take an occasional special offer, so it's a skip around the globe taking in white, pink and red en route. You can find other stockists in the UK and retailers in other countries at wine-searcher.com. V8+ Vineyards Prosecco Sior Sandro Extra Dry, Veneto, Italy Light, crisp, vibrant and drier tasting th

£35.95, The Whisky Exchange; £38.99, Handford Wines; £44.99, Selfridges The first week of October is National Champagne Week. I don’t know why – something to cheer us up as we view the prospect of months of cooler, darker days perhaps? Whatever the reason this is my contribution to the festivities/commiserations. It goes without saying that I’ve chosen it because it’s so good: fine bubbles, beautiful citrusy fruit opening out into richer brioche flavours, then a sustained, fr

£22.99, D Byrne; £27.99, Corks Out, corksout.com English wine week starts on Saturday – a great opportunity to visit an English vineyard or simply to drink an English wine. I’ve chosen a sparkling wine because it’s what we do best, growing the same grape varieties as Champagne in similar soils and climate. There are so many good ones it's hard to choose – Nyetimber, Hambledon, Wiston, Hattingley, Gusbourne, Exton Park, Ambriel and Ridgeview were all in the running – but in th

£19.99, or £17.99 in any 6 bottles, Majestic Initially I resisted choosing this Champagne on the grounds that a) pink Champagne is too clichéd in its obviousness for Valentine’s Day and b) bargain-hunting isn’t quite in the spirit of the occasion – but who, in the end, isn’t won over by a spot of pink fizz in a pretty bottle? This, with its fine bubbles and delicate pomegranate and cherry fruitiness, is better than many a well-known, more expensive brand backed by the full fo

Still and sparkling wines that are easy to drink, don’t need food and are available on the high street – five of them at under £7.50. For more ideas, especially if you want to aim a bit higher, check out my festive Champagne, Red and White Wine guides and my Wines of the Week. Wine Atlas Côtes de Thau 2014, Languedoc, France Breezy, light (12% abv), southern French blend of Sauvignon, Grenache Blanc and Vermentino. Zesty grapefruit and nettle flavour with a suggestion of whit

Ten Champagnes to put you in the mood for Christmas and all the rest Listed in ascending order of price, ignoring special offers and quantity discounts. I've given a UK stockist and price (sometimes two) for each, but you can find other stockists in the UK and other countries on wine-searcher.com. Les Pionniers Brut NV Champagne Biscuity, rounded and fresh. Consistently good; remarkable value. The Co-operative's own label. 50% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier, 10% Chardonnay. Th

£12.50, Yapp Brothers Recommending a Crémant de Limoux, rather than a Prosecco, makes me feel a bit like King Canute. There seems to be no holding back the tidal wave of Prosecco flowing into the nation's bars, trolleys, fridges and glasses, but if you sometimes (or always) crave something less sweet and frothy, here is a French sparkling wine that's more like Champagne. It's made in the same way as Champagne, using the same grape varieties, and has a similar, enticing, biscu