According to a June report in a.n. other newspaper, thrifty Britons are not just opting for cheap fizz but claiming that ‘prosecco’s just as good as champers’. It’s true that prosecco sales are bursting through the roof but does that mean it’s ‘nearly twice as popular as champagne’ as the paper claims? Take the hype with a large pinch of salt bearing in mind that most prosecco sells on price. I doubt that the champenois are having too many sleepless nights when they’re selling 300 million bottles a year, but I’m all in favour of looking at alternatives when summertime calls for refreshing fizz.

It’s no secret that I am not prosecco’s numero uno fan. I generally find its hefty dose of sugar and toad’s eye bubbles too coarsely cloying , although I can see its virtues when you use it as a base for a Bellini and other such summery confections. I was pleasantly surprised recently when Alessandro Marchesan, head wine honcho of the Zuma / Roka / Oblix group, showed me the stylish, dry Merotto Cuvée del Fondatore Brut Millesimato, £16.50, Vinitalia. I then tried another excellent example, the creamy yet refreshingly pear-like, crisp Nino Franco Prosecco Rustic, £14, Sommelier’s Choice. Not quite like London buses then, no.

Equally, I can take or leave most of your common or garden cava, so it’s always a delight to experience a cava that does more than what it says on the tin, in this instance a 2010 Llapart Rosé Brut Reserva, £17, Borough Wines, made from monastrell and garnacha and, while not given away, is packed with the flavours and texture of raspberry mousse and crème chantilly. On a recent trip to Portugal for their annual wine competition, I was amazed at how much its sparkling wines have improved in recent years. Check out how good it can be with a taste of the 2013 Filipa Pato 38 Blanc de Blancs, Bairrada, Oddbins, £15, a fresh, delicately nutty champagne-method fizz with rich mouthfilling mousse and juicy peachy flavours.

Sticking with Oddbins, the revitalised high street chain also has a fine French fizz from Burgundy in the shape of the Bichot Crémant de Bourgogne Reserve Privée, £17.50, Oddbins, a vinous sparkler whose vanilla cream aromas are supported by a creamy mousse with nectarine fruit and dry, nutty aftertaste. In other fizz news, the stalwart of Bouvet-Ladubay from the Loire is nicely back on form, as witnessed by a crisp, apple-bitey Bouvet-Ladubay Brut, £13.49, buy two = £8.49, Majestic, and its pink counterpart, the soft summer pudding fruity Bouvet Saumur Rosé, £13.49, buy two = £8.49, from Tuesday, Majestic. Last but not least, an old Kiwi favourite: the stylish, champagne-esque Lindauer Special Reserve, £15.99, Waitrose, Majestic, buy two = £10.66, from Tuesday.

Something for The Weekend

Night In

2013 Morrisons Chenin Blanc, Western Cape

This unpretentiously crisp Cape chenin is refreshingly aromatic with apple and quince-like undertones, a spritz on the tongue and a mouthwateringly refreshing mouthful of apple and pear fruitiness topped off with a balanced and juicily dry flourish. £6.99, Morrisons.

Dinner Party

2012 Harvey Nichols Watervale Riesling

Clean, zingy and refreshingly lime-scented with a delicate prickle of bubbles on the tongue, this is a mouthwateringly dry and tangy, lime-zesty riesling from Kilikanoon, one of the best in the Clare Valley business. Utterly tangily dry. £16, Harvey Nichols.

Splash Out

2012 Christian Bellang Bourgogne Blanc Sous la Velle.

This stylish barrel-fermented chardonnay, is as good as declassified Meursault from Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune should be, with lots of intense peachy opulence of flavour, good concentration and a lively nutty freshness on the aftertaste. £19, Oddbins.

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