Expensive champagne for cheap bargain prices
The Guardian has recommended places for consumers to buy cheap bargain champagne for Christmas.
Those looking to add a bit of fizz to their Christmas celebrations might be put off by the perceived price of good quality champagne, however, supermarkets are offering cheap bargain drinks this year.The recession has taken its toll on luxury goods manufacturers such as champagne-makers, causing them to lower the amount they charge for their products, according to the Guardian.
But consumers used to buying alternatives such as prosecco and cava may be unfamiliar with the jargon employed to identify a good quality champagne, so the newspaper has offered some advice.
Three grapes are used to make most bottles of bubbly - chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meurier - with the latter being the most inferior, and shoppers should look out for a 'blanc de blanc' for a lighter drink and 'blanc de noir' for a "more structured" taste.
Cheap bargains on 'cuvee' champagnes should also be snapped up, it was recommended, as it means the batches will have been made from the first or second pressings of the grapes, allowing more natural sugars and acidity to seep through.
The newspaper listed Marks & Spencer's Oudinot Brut Non Vintage - reduced from £19.99 to £13.90 - as a cheap bargain, along with Asda Brut Champagne - a "biscuity" blanc de noir priced at £14.98.
Those who have slightly more cash to splash may be tempted by Waitrose's Champagne Blanc de Blanc at £21.99 or Pol Roger Brut Reserve Non Vintage, available at a 20 per cent reduction for £29.99 at Laithwaites Wine.
Brits still to buy their Christmas presents this year are turning away from the high street and logging on to the internet to find cheap bargains, thanks to a slew of discount voucher codes offering money off at top online stores, the Times recently reported.
Written by Kevin Shield
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