SUPER SIZE YOUR FIZZ!

Everyone’s buying magnums this year — so which one’s worth a pop?

Good things come in small packages — except bubbles, apparently. over the past year we’ ve developed a thirst for champagne and sparkling wine in big bottles, with sales of magnums more t han doubling in Waitrose.

Marks & Spencer recently launched a range of magnums and Tesco is now selling a £499 Methuselah — the equivalent of eight bottles of champagne. But what difference does a big bottle make?

Well, for a start, they have showstopping qualities. Walk (or rather, stagger) into a room carrying one and it says generous host without you even having to open your mouth.

Then there’s the quality argument. Magnums, holding 150cl or two bottles, effectively slow down the ageing process of the fizz within. That’s because contact with air helps wine to develop and age.

A magnum neck size is the same as a 75cl bottle so they both have the same amount of air in contact with the wine inside, but there’s twice as much liquid inside the magnum. It’s this lower air-to-wine ratio that enables the wine inside to evolve more gently over time.

So it is that fizz from a magnum usually tastes fresher and brighter than the equivalent wine from a standard sized bottle. Unfortunately, buying a bigger bottle doesn’t necessarily mean bagging a bargain. Magnums are usually at least double the price of a single bottle, owing to higher production and packaging costs. But there are some great wines to be found, assuming you don’t mind lugging the bottle home afterwards.

of course, there i s one other major logistical problem with big bottles: they don’t fit in the fridge door. But a kitchen sink or i ce bucket filled with half water, half ice will chill a magnum nicely in half an hour.

When it comes to pouring, the easiest way to do it is with one hand at the bottom of the bottle, thumb in the punt, or dimple. Then with the other hand, cradle the neck of the bottle. Magnums require a little more muscle than usual; Jeroboams (containing four bottles of champagne) take both stamina and a steady hand. Mark the occasion with a Methuselah and you’ll need an extra pair of hands — as the equivalent of eight bottles it weighs more than 11kg!

If you fancy super- sizing your fizz this year, here’s my pick of the magnum bunch.

Grandi Mori Prosecco

150cl, £11.99, Aldi

ALDI has shipped in a few different magnums this year but this one stands out not just because what’s inside is delicious, but the dark, curvy bottle makes it look way more expensive than it is.

Really frothy and fabulous, with lots of apple and citrus fruit flavours.

Fillipo Sansovino Prosecco Magnum 150cl, £12 on offer (normally £15), Asda

PRETTY label? Tick. lovely stuff inside the bottle? double tick. Great value? double tick, again. This one’s fresher than many of its rivals too, with gorgeous pear f ruit flavours. do as the Italians do and serve it with a dash of Campari if you want to mix it up a bit.

Sainsbury’s Conegliano Prosecco, Taste the Difference 150cl, £14.50 on offer (normally £19), Sainsbury’s

THIS is one of the best own label proseccos around, with a bit more weight to it than most. But crucially, it’s still light on its feet with crisp lemony fruit.

And because prosecco is generally lower in alcohol than wine (this one’s 10.5 per cent) you can enjoy a glass or two without having to have a lie down afterwards!

The Society’s Cava Reserva 150cl, £17.50, The Wine Society

CAVA is made in the same way as champagne, with the s econd bubble - inducing fermentation taking place in the bottle (with prosecco, this happens in a tank). But being Spanish and made from different grapes, it tastes completely different.

The flavours are bigger but not as fine as champagne. This one’s on flying form though, made exclusively for The Wine Society by a small family estate in Penedes.

voted Best value Cava at t he r ecent Wines From Spain Awards.

Waitrose Brut Champagne Magnum Brut NV

150cl, £39.99

SOME champagnes are as lean as a supermodel but this one’s got proper body and curves. Made from 90 per cent pinot noir and meunier and 10 per cent chardonnay, it’s ripe with lemon peel and rich with toasty flavours. Great value.

Billecart-Salmon Brut 150cl, £75.95, Lea & Sandeman

HARDLY cheap, but a real cracker. The style is super smart, with pure red fruits and textured toasty flavours. A bit big f or a stocking perhaps, but it’ll definitely fit in a pillowcase.

Pol Roger Brut Reserve NV Champagne Magnum £79.99, Marks & Spencer (online only)

WINSTON CHURCHILL, a lifelong fan of this particular champagne house, once declared Maison Pol Roger the ‘most delightful address in the world’.

not a quiet wine, this’ll get the party started with its outthere citrus flavours.

Bollinger Rosé Magnum Champagne Magnum NV

£100, Tesco

CREATED by blending over 300 so-called ‘base’ wines and made pink by the addition of a touch of grand cru pinot noir. Rich, bold and powerful, with red fruits and spice, this’ll cope with more than j ust a plate of s moked salmon. It’ll take on turkey quite happily.