If you want to beat the squeeze on prestige champagnes this Christmas, buy now, or consider own-label or growers’ champagnes that can be just as good
Champagne is still most people’s choice for a celebration, so lesser-known labels can often be a cheaper option. Photograph: AzmanL/Getty Images
As I write, rumours are swirling around that there’s going to be a shortage of champagne in the run-up to Christmas. It seems hard to credit given the squillions of bottles the Champenois produce every year, and it doesn’t exactly come into the same league of inconvenience as petrol shortages, but if you enjoy a glass of bubbly on New Year’s Eve and want to get it at a reasonable price, there’s no harm in picking some up now.
According to Rob Cooke, chief commercial officer of Majestic, it’s not so much that there will be a shortage than that shoppers may not be able to find their favourite champagne at a discounted price. “The choice will be: do you stick with your normal brand if it’s not promoted, change brands or go for another sparkling wine?”
Champagne ‘Yapp’ J Dumangin et Fils NV £36 Yapp Brothers, 12%. Super-smart, elegant grower’s champagne that demonstrates why it still has the edge over rival sparkling wines.
by Fiona Beckett