

Prosecco, Cava and new world bubbly provide the perfect alternative to more expensive and dare I say less accessible champagne. Here are four which can the delivery bubbly luxury without the dizzy price.
Popularity for Prosecco has surged over the last 18 months or so. One of the reasons is possibly that we want the luxury but without the price. That, or just it tastes bloody good. The family-run Bisol operation produces many wines and the Jeio is one of their flagships. Gorgeous, soft, creamy pears. More palatable than many champagnes that are twice the price. Saluté!
Available from: Rednosewine.com, Next Door shops nationwide, Jus de Vine, Portmarnock, Redmonds (Ranelagh), Bin No.9 and leading independents
Closed with what looks like a normal cork with a piece of string over the top. Why? There's less pressure in the bottle, a 'frizzante'. What this means for us is there's less duty paid on it and we reap the benefits. Absolutely gorgeous. Delicious peaches and crunchy apples. (90 pts Robert Parker).
Available from: World Wide Wine, Waterford, Cases Galway, Mortons of Galway, Hollands of Bray and leading independents
Another bottle for affordable luxury, this time from the well known brand, Jacob's Creek. Blanc de
Blancs means made from white grapes. Chardonnay goes into this and the results are fantastic. Light and refreshing, zesty lemon and aromatic florals. Lovely creaminess too.
Available from: SuperQuinn, Dunnes Stores and independents nationwide
Spain's answer to champagne, but for me a lot better. This was given to me as a present. As with most sparklers, I put to one side for a special occasion. However, like the sparklers above, it doesn't really need that special occasion as they're not that expensive. This is the richest of all four and another 90pt winner from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. Toasty, creamy, nutty with a generous amount of stone fruit. Quirky and fantastic.
Available from: Curiouswines.ie
Comments are moderated by our editors, so there may be a delay between submission and publication of your comment. Offensive or abusive comments will not be published. Please note that your IP address (204.236.235.245) will be logged to prevent abuse of this feature. In submitting a comment to the site, you agree to be bound by our Terms and Conditions
Subscribe to The Sunday Tribune’s RSS feeds. Learn more.
Get off to a profitable sports betting start today at sportsbetting.co.uk