Alice King's wine course
Part 4: champagne and sparkling wine

Cava. This quality Spanish sparkling wine is made in exactly the same way as champagne. The only difference is that it uses indigenous Spanish grapes. It has a distinctive character and aroma and a flavour some people describe as ‘soapy’. Cava tends to be very good value for money at around £4.99 a bottle. Tesco are currently discounting their cava (£3.49). Fantastic value for Christmas.

Australian sparkling wine. The vast majority of Aussie sparklers are made using the champagne method. Many are excellent value for money. Expect to pay around £4.99 for fizzes like Angus Brut, which are available both in white and rose. Demain Chandon’s 1997 Greenpoint always does well in blind tastings and is again good value at around £11.99 a bottle.

New Zealand sparkling wine. Quite a recent runner in the fizz stakes. Lindauer, at £8.99 a bottle, is widely available and excellent value. It has a dry, crisp taste.

Californian Fizz. Many of the French champagne companies invested in wineries in California. One of the best and most consistent and affordable Californian fizzes is Cuvée Mumm Napa. Try the white and the rosé versions, widely available at £10.99.

Asti Spumante. A well-known Italian fizz, this tends to be medium to sweet and has a distinctive grapey aroma and flavour. It’s also lower in alcohol than standard fizz.

Part 1: getting started
Part 2: white wines
Part 3: red wines
Part 5: port

For more information about Alice King and her wine-tasting courses, check out www.alicekingwineschool.co.uk