Now a few words about Prosecco, the Stupids beverage of choice . ....

Some sad souls think that prosecco, the Italian sparkler, would lose in a taste-off against a bucket of dog pee. I certainly thought so until forced by the shrunken pound to reconsider. What a revelation. This wine has been traduced.

Prosecco is probably best known as the bubbles in a bellini. It is also treated as a second-rate champagne. Bad prosecco and processed peach juice make horrible bellinis. But the best prosecco needs no peaches to outshine champagne at twice the price. It’s more refreshing and lower in alcohol: a safely wicked start-the-day drink if you deserve one.

The point is that prosecco, which comes from the cool hills north of Venice, has no pretensions to champagne status. It is made from different raw material (prosecco is a grape variety) in a completely different, cheaper way. That doesn’t mean it has to taste cheap. Proud and diligent winemakers produce bubbles that burst with spring flowers and herbs and a refreshing appley zing. They have none of the heavy, cooked-fruit aromas of more expensive champagne-wannabe sparklers sent here by hot new-world vineyards. The shadow over prosecco comes from producers who lack these virtues and are easily driven down to the lowest price point by importers who want to bring the cheapest possible version into Britain. They don’t tackle the natural bitterness of the prosecco grape. At best, their wines taste of wet wood.

Supermarkets have some drinkable proseccos, but some of the really tasty stuff is sold by online retailers. That means buying by the case of six or a dozen, but who’s complaining when you get such high quality at such low prices?