What better way to toast the festive season than with a nice glass of bubbly? Expert champagne quaffer and editor of Decanter magazine Guy Woodward is here with his favourite festive fizz this Christmas.
From an award winning English sparkling wine, to a £12.99 Lidl bottle that outshone the Champagne big wigs to be awarded a Which! best buy, we've got it all.
Plus Holly and Phillip get the chance to try their hand at the art of sabrage, a technique of opening a champagne bottle without taking the cork accomplished by using a sword to cut of the bottle top.
The best of bubbly...
Comte de Brismand champagne, £2 off at Lidl - £12.99
This is the cheapest of our taste test Champagnes. This Lidl champagne out-performed big brands such as Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot in the Which! Magazines 'Champagne Best Buy December 2011' and, at less than £15, it's half the price. The bottle has simple fruity flavours and apple aromas.
Nyetimber Classic Cuvée Vintage 2006, 20% off at Waitrose - £22.79 (until January 3)
Considered one of England's best wines, this is made in the true champagne fashion, using traditional grape varieties and production techniques. The result is creamy and rich with notes of brioche and a refreshing citrus twist. A classically structured wine that lasts and lasts on the palate. In 2010 a Nyetimber sparkling wine (2003 vintage) won the World Sparkling Wine Championships in Verona and beat sparkling wines from around the world that cost up to ten times more than the Nyetimber wine.
Tesco Finest Bisol Prosecco, 20% off at Tesco - £8
This award-winning prosecco's aromas of wildflowers are balanced on the palate by notes of pear, and a refreshingly crisp acidity. The Telegraph described it as: "As light as a snowflake, airy, dry, gently reminiscent of ripe pears. A perennial favourite and great value as Christmas approaches."
Lanson Rose Label - RRP £34.99
Lanson has been a high end Champagne maker for decades and Lanson Rose is one of the most popular rose Champagnes in the world and is the UK's best selling Rose. It is great with white meat and sweet desserts and has armours of rose and red fruit.
And these nibbles go perfectly with a glass of fizz:
Champagne Biscuits - £5.95
These indulgent sweet biscuits from Reims are delicate and crunchy. Perfect as an afternoon indulgence with a glass of Champagne... ideally try dunking them in your glass to get the full flavour experience.
J Leblanc Champagne Vinegar - £5
This vinegar is made from pinot gris and meunière grapes grown in the Champagne region. The vinegar is unfiltered and has a natural crisp and smooth flavour. Champagne vinegar is one of the finest white wine vinegars you can buy and can be used to make spectacular vinaigrettes and marinades.
About Sabrage
Sabrage is a technique for opening a Champagne bottle with a sabre (sword). This is slid along the body of the bottle toward the neck. The force of the blade hitting the lip breaks the glass to separate the collar from the neck of the bottle. The cork and collar remain together after separating from the neck.
Malcolm John is called an Officer of Sabrage and to gain this title he had to host Champagne events or show he was seriously committed to Champagne for a period of three years. In addition he had to sabrage a magnum of Champagne. Also Malcolm hosts regular Champagne and Sabrage dinners at his resturant.