Plan your post-lockdown party with our wine expert’s picks of British fizz

EVERY celebration calls for a glass of bubbly, but if you’re planning post-lockdown parties, why not swap pricey French fizz for a flute of something closer to home.

Sales of English sparkling wines are booming, with experts recently predicting production will double to 2million bottles annually over the next decade.

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Here, wine expert Helena Nicklin pops the cork on her choice of the best-value belting British bubbles.

Lyme Block Brut Reserve: 7/10

(£16.99, Aldi)

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Made by the Lyme Bay Winery in Devon, this floral fizz is delicate, leafy and spritzy thanks to some more unusual grape variet­ies.

It’s a good balance of citrus and toast flavour, which would pair well with seafood.

A delicious low-price wine.

Co-op Irresistible Eight Acres Spark­ling Rosé: 8/10

(£18, coop.co.uk)

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Elegant, red apple and berry flavours with just the right amount of yeasty tang.

Made by a well-respected family winery in Maidstone, Kent, this is fresh, acidic and classy.

There’s a lot go­ing on, yet it is understated and refined. Great for BBQ.

Tesco Finest English Sparkling Wine: 7/10

(£19, tesco.com)

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Pale gold with ripe apple, melon, pear, a tonne of citrus to freshen things up and additional quirky nuttiness for depth.

This dry, crisp sparkler from Kent has ling­ering apple and citrus flavours that would match beautifully with canapes.

Balfour 1503 Rose Oast House Cuvee: 9/10

(£20, Marks­ & Spencer)

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With a little more weight and tex­ture, this rosé from Kent oozes summer pud­d­ing, hedge­row and wild strawberry flavours.

Soft and moreish, it would be delicious with a summer pudding or just solo.

Sainsbury’s Taste The Diff­erence English Sparkling Wine: 10/10

(£20.50, sains­burys.co.uk)

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By the ren­owned Denbies in Surrey, this is top-notch and sophisticated.

Using all three Cham­pagne grapes it has beauti­ful brioche notes with ripe apple and pear flavours.

A fab fizz.

Asda Extra Special English Sparkling Wine: 8/10

(£21, asda.com)

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Made with grapes from a Hampshire vineyard, this is easy-drinking and refreshing.

Crisp but not too tart, it is loaded with ripe fruity flavours and has a bal­anced finish.

Would match well with fish dishes. Delicious.

Ellercombe English Spar­kling Wine: 7/10

(£18, sainsburys.com)

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Pure, pretty and crisp with green apple, citrus and delicate floral notes.

Made using classic champagne methods and grapes from vineyards around the South Coast.

A traditional champagne taste, with a British accent.

Morrisons Eng­lish Sparkl­ing ‘Grand Vintage’ Brut, 2010: 9/10

(£25, morrisons.co.uk)

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