1. ENGLISH SPARKLING

English sparkling wine is going from strength to strength, and with a bountiful harvest this year there will be more bottles than ever on our shelves in years to come. Most top English sparklers start at £30 and rise rapidly in price. I have set the maximum price at £30 and we have come up with three magnificent examples for you to buy for your celebrations.

2014 Marksman, Blanc de Blancs SUSSEX, ENGLAND (£ 26,

Marks & Spencer) Our winner in this category is thrilling in every way, and world- class in its construction. What I like about this vintage is the mellow mid- palate, which is a result of grapes which ripened perfectly in the autumn of 2014. This is one of the great ‘ partnership’ wines on our shelves – Marks & Spencer wine buyer Sue Daniels works closely with the famous Ridgeview winery to make this amazing 100 per cent chardonnay sparkler. Simply stunning.

RUNNERS-UP

NV Tesco Finest English Sparkling

KENT, ENGLAND (£18, Tesco) Made for Tesco by Hush Heath, this is a 45 per cent pinot noir, 45 per cent chardonnay and 10 per cent pinot meunier fizz. One of the cheapest English sparkling wines around, the fruit here is very impressive and it is a worthy rival to inexpensive Champagne.

NV Ridgeview, Bloomsbury EAST SUSSEX, ENGLAND (£ 28.99,

Waitrose) Waitrose is a huge supporter of English sparkling wine and this is one of Ridgeview’s own. Made from two-thirds chardonnay plus pinot meunier and pinot noir, it’s a grand style with amazing length and richness. At the top of the tree, this is a wine which not only looks awesome within our shores but it also looks amazing against world competition.