DRINK DIFFERENT - CREMANT DE BOURGOGNE

They say that love has no price, and for many, Valentine’s Day is a time to break out the Champagne.  But with a plummeting pound, your favourite bottle of fizz could well be getting rather expensive this year, so here is a tip on how to get much the same experience even if you are saving up for that special engagement ring and your finances are a bit stretched.

Less than 200 miles south of Champagne is the Burgundy region, and as well as the better known red and white wines from this area, it has another string to its bow: Crémant de Bourgogne, a sparkling wine made in exactly the same way as Champagne, from the same Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, as well as the characteristically Burgundian Gamay and Aligoté.

Look out in particular for vintage Crémants which have spent a few years in the bottle.  They offer the kind of complex toastiness you will only find in Champagnes costing many times more.