£29.99 (mix six), Majestic; £35, hushheath.com
I'm posting early again this week to give you extra time to get this celebration-ready pink fizz in for new year's eve. It's a new wine from the Balfour winery at Hush Heath Estate in Kent and the first to be made there by the saignée method, which means the colour comes from the skins of the red grapes Pinot Noir and Meunier, rather than by the easier method of blending in some red wine to a white wine base.
It's a pretty pale pink with fine bubbles and alluring, fruity aromas of raspberries, strawberries, roses and pomegranates, which flow on to the palate with fruit-filled, generosity and creamy roundness – all in all, dry, lively and joyful with none of the challenging austerity that some people find in Champagne and some other classic-method sparkling wines.
With an eye-catching label specially commissioned from painter Lothar Götz, it seems just the thing to see in a new year that threatens to be challenging. You could match it to a wide array of canapés, including with some spice, but it's very happy on its own. 12%
Hush Heath Estate Balfour Winemaker Collection Saignée Brut, Kent, England
£29.99, mix six, or £34.99 per bottle, Majestic; £35, hushheath.com