BOXING DAY SPARKLING

BOXING Day is often a day for finishing off leftovers and perhaps cheating a little with the catering — and, if so, don’t open up your best wines today. Save any special bottles and head to some lighter whites and fruitier reds so your palate can have a r

2016 La Gioiosa, Prosecco Superiore Millesimato, Valdobbiadene, Veneto, Italy (£13.49, reduced to £8.99 until December 31, Waitrose) MADE from 100 per cent glera, the prosecco grape, and supersmooth in its delivery of flavour, this is a vintage sparkler. It is beautifully refreshing and titillates the palate. I am delighted that it is discounted to such a keen price, too, so load up for Boxing Day celebrations.

NV Taste the Difference Crémant de Loire, France (£11, reduced to £9 from December 13 to January 1 and magnum, £22, Sainsbury’s) LOIRE sparkling wines tend to be drier and crisper than most proseccos – so if you like wines with more zip and crunch on the finish, this 85 per cent chenin blanc, 15 per cent chardonnay blend, from the Saumur region, is a ‘champagne-shaped’ wine for a snip of the price.

NV Tesco finest* Franciacorta Brut, Lombardy, Italy (£15, Tesco) ANOTHER ‘traditional method’ (meaning champagne method — but you are not allowed to use this expression unless, of course, you are talking about champagne), this time made from 80 per cent chardonnay and 20 per cent pinot blanc. This is Italy’s top-end sparkling style, hence the price, but even at £15 it is a relative bargain!

NV Lyme Bay, Brut Rosé, Devon, England (£25, Oddbins) I CANNOT get through Boxing Day without a rosé sparkler or English wine, so here are both styles in one bottle. This silky smooth, gorgeously scented wine is made from 100 per cent pinot noir and is seamless, with a luxurious wild strawberry nose and silky palate. I have to comment on the packaging, too — English sophistication at its finest!