Put some fizz into your New Year's drinks

CHAMPAGNE has always spoken of special occasions.

- by Matt Nixson

In fact, when it began to enjoy mass appeal in the late 19th century, it was still out of reach of the majority of people so it became popular as a New Year's Eve treat. These days it's relatively more affordable but even better, there are great-value options for every wallet and every taste.

From Italian prosecco to Spanish cava and English sparkling wine, something with a bit of fizz will help make any night a bit more special, let alone January 31.

Many fizzes, including English sparkling, are still made by the Traditional Method - grape juice is pressed, fermented and then blended. The blended wine is bottled with yeast and sugar, stopped with a crown cap and stored for a second fermentation, in which carbon dioxide is trapped as bubbles.