Anyone in the mood for a beautiful bottle of bubbly? It’s been a nightmare to get to wine tastings this year, but I’ve still managed to round up the big supermarket award winners and a few Penny’s Picks for you here.

Word to the wise. Some of the reasonably-priced fizz that won big in 2021 has already sold out in some shops (dammit!), and stock is running low on some of the others, so I’d recommend buying now if you have your heart set on one of these champagnes, proseccos, cavas, or crémants.

What’s good?

Champagne, non-vintage

There is a very obvious winner in the non-vintage champagne category this year – head and shoulders above the rest. Snap some up before the word gets out, eh?

Tesco Finest Premier Cru Champagne, NV | £21.00

IWSC Trophy, IWSC gold medal 95/100, IWC Great Value Champion Sparkling 2021 93/100, IWC Great Value Sparkling between £12 and £20, Olive magazine winner, Which Magazine joint 2nd place 81/100, Good Housekeeping 2nd place 76/100. Crisp ripe apple on the nose, energetic bubbles, pastry notes and a long nutty finish. << CLEAR 2021 WINNER OF WINNERS

Other non-vintage champagne high scorers:

Waitrose Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne | £24.00, sold out online, may still be in some stores

Decanter gold medal 95/100, Which? magazine winner 82/100, Good Housekeeping winner 78/100, IWSC silver medal 91/100. Smooth, fresh, clean and zesty, notes of lemon, apple and toast.

Marks & Spencer Louis Vertay Brut, NV | £17.00 (single bottle at Ocado), or case of six at M&S.

IWC Great Value Sparkling between £12 and £20 91/100. Fresh apple, red berry and lemon notes, with a toasty, creamy, elegant mousse. << GOOD VALUE

Aldi Champagne Philizot et fils Blancs de Noirs NV | £18.99

IWC silver medal 93/100. Nose of raspberry and ginger, smoky notes and green apple. Vibrant and satisfying.

Co-Op Les Pionniers Champagne NV | £19.00, in store only.

Which? magazine joint 2nd place 81/100, Decanter silver medal 92/100, IWSC silver medal 92/100. Rich aromas and complex, savoury flavours.

Waitrose Blanc de Blancs Champagne NV | £25.99, currently on offer for £19.49.

IWSC silver medal 92/100, Decanter silver medal 90/100. Not to be confused with their Blanc de Noirs, and, crucially, still available. Marzipan nose, flinty, toasty notes, vibrant fruity palate and beautiful balance. << BEST OFFER THIS WEEK

Marks & Spencer Delacourt Brut NV | £25.00, also available at Ocado.

Which? magazine joint 2nd place 81/100. Dry with pleasant acidity, and biscuity undertones.

Best of the rest:

• Lidl Comte de Senneval Champagne Brut | £13.99, in store only. Olive magazine silver medal, Which magazine 75/100, Good Housekeeping 70/100. Fresh lively fizz with a delicate nose and a peachy finish, would pair well with smoked salmon. << BEST CHEAPIE CHAMPAGNE
• Lidl Veuve Delattre Brut Champagne | £11.99, in store only. Which? magazine 5th place 77/100. Fresh acidity and clean fruity taste.
• Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Blanc de Noirs | £21.00, or buy 6 and save 25%. Olive magazine bronze medal, Which magazine 6th place 79/100. Biscuity notes, rich flavour and balanced acidity.
• Morrisons The Best Brut Premier Cru Champagne | £21.00, or buy 3 and get 25% off. Good Housekeeping 73/100, Which? magazine 73/100. Green apple, lime and apple crumble on the palate, fine bubbles and pronounced acidity

Vintage champagne

Vintage champagne tends to have more complex, deeper flavours than the non-vintage version, so you may decide it’s worth spending a little more for a special occasion, such as, say, getting though 2021. This year, the best value vintage champagne is cheaper than the winning non-vintage champagne, and the best for flavour is very reasonably priced too, so bargain hunters, do your thing!

Best of the best:

Co-op Les Pionniers Vintage Champagne | £26.99, in stores only.

IWSC gold medal 95/100, Good Housekeeping best vintage champagne winner, 76/100, Decanter silver medal 90/100. Easy drinking, gentle bubbles, with citrus, brioche and hazelnuts.  << BEST VINTAGE FLAVOUR (but hard to find)

Aldi Veuve Monsigny Vintage Blanc de Blancs, 2015 | £20.00

IWC silver medal 93/100, IWSC silver medal 92/100, Decanter silver medal 90/100, Good Housekeeping 70/100. Green apple, yellow fruit, honey and pastry aromas, rich and nicely balanced, lively bubbles and creamy lingering finish. << BEST VALUE VINTAGE

Best of the rest:

• M&S Delacourt Vintage Brut Champagne | £27.00 Ocado only. Good Housekeeping 72/100. Smooth, complex, herbaceous nose, with notes of honey, brioche and almonds.
• ASDA Extra Special Louis Bernard Champagne Vintage Brut | £26.00. Decanter silver medal 91/100, IWSC bronze medal, Good Housekeeping 72/100. Complex nose with yellow apple, grapefruit and toast, with bold bubbles and a rich, fruity finish.

Rosé champagne

Only one of note this year:

Co-op Les Pionniers Rosé Brut NV | £22.00, available to order online

IWSC silver medal 90/100, Decanter bronze medal 89/100. Strawberry, pastry and herb nose, with well-defined red berries and cream on the palate.

Prosecco, cava & other sparkling wines

These are all £12 and under, so they’re budget friendly for most households.

Prosecco

There’s no clear 2021 winner in this category, so pick whatever fits your budget or is the most convenient for you to get hold of.

Aldi Prosecco Superiore DOCG Millesimato | £8.99

Good Housekeeping supermarket prosecco winner 78/100. Vintage blend with a touch of sweetness, and ripe apple and white blossom notes.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Conegliano Prosecco | £10.00. Currently reduced to £8.00, plus get extra 25% off if you buy 6.

Olive magazine winner, Good Housekeeping joint 2nd place supermarket prosecco 76/100, Which? Magazine 66%. Dry, with notes of pear, gooseberry and nuts, pleasant lemony acidity with a long finish. << BEST BULK BUY PROSECCO OFFER

Waitrose & Partners Blueprint Prosecco DOC | £6.99

Good Housekeeping joint 2nd place supermarket prosecco 76/100. Green apple, white blossom and pear, with a touch of biscuit. << BEST PROSECCO CHEAPIE

Aldi Castellore Organic Prosecco Extra Dry, 2018 | £7.49.

IWC silver medal 90/100, IWSC bronze medal, Decanter bronze medal 88/100. Peach and melon on the nose, pear and green apple on the palate.

Co-op Irresistible Prosecco | £8.50, available to order online.

Good Housekeeping 72/100, Which? magazine 70/100. Well-balanced easy drinker, notes of crisp apple, pear and blossom.

Asda Fillipo Sansovino Prosecco | £7.00, currently on offer for £6.50.

IWSC Silver medal 90/100, Olive magazine prosecco bronze medal. Pear and apricot notes, fruity but not too sweet.

Morrisons The Best Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco | £10.00, or buy 3 get 25% off.

Good Housekeeping 71 /100, Decanter bronze medal 88/100. Notes of pear, green apple and white flowers, with a long finish.

Cava

There’s a clear winner for flavour in this category, plus some budget buys that are worth a look.

Waitrose & Partners No.1 Castillo Peralada Cava Brut, 2018 | £10.79

IWC Great Value Sparkling under £12 91/100, Decanter silver medal 92/100. Fresh nose, citrus, honey notes. Creamy, soft rounded on the palate with a lingering savoury finish. << BEST-TASTING CAVA

Best of the rest:

• Asda Marques del Norte Cava Brut | £7.00. Which? magazine sparkling wine joint winner 76/100. Crisp, creamy sparkling wine with a hint of toast.
• Lidl Arestel Cava | £5.29, in store only. Olive magazine fizz-by-the-case gold medal. Clean, fresh and very, very drinkable.
• Morrisons The Best Marqués de Los Rios Brut Cava | £9.00 or buy 3 and save 25%. IWSC silver medal 90/100, Decanter bronze medal 88/100. Ripe stone fruits, lime zest and brioche on the nose, rich citrus fruits on the palate, intensity and lovely balance.

Other sparkling wines

The award-winners here all seem to be French sparkling wines, made champagne-style. There’s one clear Penny’s Pick for flavour here too.

Morrisons The Best Crémant de Limoux | £12.00, or buy 3 get 25% off.

Which? magazine sparkling wine joint winner 76/100, Decanter bronze medal 88/100. Good party fizz with baked apple notes and nutty flavours. << BEST FLAVOUR CHAMPAGNE SUBSTITUTE (better value if you buy 3, seeing as you can buy champagne for £12 at the mo).

Best of the rest:

• Lidl Crémant de Loire Brut | £8.50, in stores only. Decanter silver medal 90/100, Which? magazine sparkling wine 3rd place 74/100, IWSC bronze medal. Bright fruits, herbal notes and a touch of honey.
• Aldi Specially Selected Crémant de Jura | £8.50, in stores only (sold out online). IWSC bronze medal, Decanter bronze medal 88/100, Which? magazine sparkling wine 5th place 71/100. Clean, simple, light and fruity.

Pink sparkling wines

A couple of award-winning pink cheapies you might like:

• Aldi Crémant De Limoux Rosé, 2019 | £8.49. IWC silver medal 92/100. Red berry nose and palate, floral notes too, touch of brioche, creamy texture, fine mousse.
• Lidl Prosecco Rosé DOC Extra Dry | £6.49, in stores only. Olive magazine silver medal prosecco. Juicy, strawberry fruit and creamy bubbles.

Eyes on the sparkling prize, everybody!

I’ve tried to cover the whole of the supermarket sparkling section, but please let me know if you have a special favourite that’s not listed here.

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• Best supermarket showstopper desserts, cakes, puddings & mince pies

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Disclaimer: I am not currently working with any of the listed supermarkets. No paid placements, no conflict of interest, just lovely booze.