Own-brand bubbly leaves top producers red-faced

SOME of the grand old masters of the bubbly business were left red faced yesterday and it wasn’t down to an over-indulgent Christmas tasting session.

Instead rosy-cheeked executives at some of the world's premier sparkling maisons were trying to swallow the not so sweet news that a Tesco own-brand bubbly beat them in a tasting survey.

Tesco's Premier Cru Brut NV came out top in a blind tasting of 24 champagnes and 11 sparkling wines by British consumer magazine Which?.

After two days tasting disguised bottles, a panel of seven experts concluded the Tesco brand at €26.49 was the best, describing it as "elegant and complex." The non-vintage Cru Brut even beat expensive brands such as Bollinger which would set you back almost twice the price at €44.86.

In fact Bollinger languished in 12th position while another famous brand, Moet Chandon, could only manage a flat 13th place with a price tag of €30.94.

As spokesperson for the more exclusive producers said that taste is a very subjective affair, a Tesco Ireland spokesperson said the store's brand was very popular and was selling very well.

Irish Examiner's wine correspondent Blake Creedon said he was delighted with the Which? tasting session result as it echoed two points he consistently makes about sparkling wine: "Firstly, we are being grossly overcharged for Champagne. The big producers have positioned their brands as luxury items not due to any intrinsic quality of the wine, but rather by expensive marketing tools such as product placement in movies and sponsorship of Formula 1. Secondly, even here in Ireland with our absurd flat fee duty on wine more expensive certainly doesn't mean better. I have recommended Tesco Premier Cru Champagne several times, as well as other sparklers from outside the region."

Blake's festive season recommendations include:

Jacob's Creek Special Cuvée Special Reserve NV (about €12.95) Great value Champagne-style Ozzie Lindauer Brut NV New Zealand (about €13) a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, New Zealand.

Freixenet Cordon Negro (about €17) Cava from Catalonia, which has a sparkling winemaking tradition every bit as venerable as Champagne.

Cuvée Prestige Monmousseau Blanc des Blancs (about €18) A sparkler from France, this time the Loire valley, made with Chenin Blanc, great as an aperitif.

Other honourable brands include Codorníu (Cava); Marks & Spencer Bluff Hills sparkling wine and Marks & Spencer Cava Brut.