Coconova Sparkling Brut

In general I use the drink of the week slot to feature a wine - or other drink - that’s really impressed me but occasionally it’s all about the right wine for the moment.

Today could be Brazil’s last day in the World Cup (I hope not for their sake but I’m also a big fan of Chile) so you might want to mark the occasion by buying this bottle of Brazilian bubbly from Marks & Spencer.

I can’t say it’s amazing - think inexpensive prosecco rather than champagne - but it's perfectly fine and would make a great cocktail with some fresh fruit juice and maybe even a dash of something stronger. And the label just screams ‘party’.

You’ve got a couple of hours to get it before the match begins or, if Brazil stay in the Cup, time to order a couple of cases in time for the next match - or even the final. It’s normally £8.99 but until Monday night you get a 25% discount if you buy six bottles in store or two six-bottle cases online which brings it down to £6.74 a bottle.

If you’ve got a sweeter tooth - or simply want something to sip with cake - try the Moscato d’Asti-like Carnival Sparkling Moscato, again £8.99 but £6.74 if you buy six bottles or two cases.

Domaine Pfister Cremant d’Alsace

We get so used to thinking of champagne as the ultimate fizz that it’s easy to overlook the many excellent sparkling wines that are made in other areas.

This is a bottle from an Alsace producer called Domaine Pfister that I opened yesterday uncertain if it would still be showing well. In fact it was absolutely perfect - with the attractively creamy character typical of a blanc de blancs but, softer, fruitier and more approachable than many champagnes that are made in that style. The blend is normally 50% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Blanc and 25% Auxerrois.

The estate is now run by the Pfister’s very bright, articulate daughter Mélanie who trained as a winemaker and is the the first woman in the family to take over the reins. The rieslings, which are drier than average, are good too.

The big surprise was how well it went with some early season asparagus and mayonnaise - by no means an obvious pairing - which suggests that it would be a food-friendly option with a wide range of dishes, including sushi I would guess. It’s apparently on the list at Zuma in London.

It would also be a good choice for a summer wedding.

You can buy it from TheDrinkShop.com for £103.77 a case of six (£17.29 a bottle), £110.50 a case from Winedirect and £19.95 from The Old Bridge Wine Shop in Huntingdon and Carruthers & Kent in Gosforth, Newcastle who I'm sure would do by the case deals too.

Price isn't the only issue though, particularly if you're buying in quantity. Deal with a retailer who can reassure you that they sell a significant amount. That way you can be sure they have a good turnover of stock.

Champagne Agrapart grand cru blanc de blancs ‘Terroirs’ extra brut

We’ve got so used to thinking of champagne in terms of big brand names it’s easy to forget that it’s a subtle and complex wine, a fact of which I was reminded by a small tasting of Agrapart champagnes put on by the Bristol-based importer Vine Trail this week.

Agrapart is what’s known as a ‘growers’ champagne - i.e. a range made by the guy who grows the grapes rather than assembled from wine from several growers as is the norm with the bigger houses. Agrapart is based in Avize in the Côte des Blancs and has a 9.75 ha estate including 62 parcels of vines the majority of which are in the grand cru villages of Avize, Cramant, Oger and Oiry.

Although this is not the cheapest champagne in their range it’s only a couple of pounds more than the basic NV and for that you get a beautifully crafted, fresh-tasting flavourful champagne that I think knocks spots off many of the better known brands that are available at that price.

Although the Agraparts don’t describe themselves as organic and biodynamic they do effectively work their vineyards that way - including using horses to plough the vineyards. As the Vine Trail website puts it:

"They feel that it is important to work according to natural rhythms and sensibilities. No chemical pesticides or weed killers are ever used. Pascal attaches great importance to the proper technique and timing of pruning to control vineyard maladies. Some homeopathic treatments also used in the vines to control pests."

Only a small dosage of 5g per litre is added which admirably preserves the freshness and elegance of the wine. Pascal uses natural yeasts and bottles the wines without fining, filtration or cold stabilisation, 25% of the wine is aged in demi-muid wooden casks then the final blend spends 3 1/2 years in the bottle. SO2 is just 50mg per litre. (Full marks to Vine Trail for being specific on all these points in their admirably lucid and detailed technical sheet.)

I think this makes a fantastic champagne to drink on its own but if you were minded to drink it with food I'd be thinking of fresh and lightly cooked seafood such as crab or sole goujons or a few warm gougères to nibble on.

You might think it’s a bit random to write about champagne at the beginning of March but this type of growers’ champagne sells fast, particularly at £27.92 a bottle (the ex-VAT price. £33.50 after tax) and I know the Vine Trail trade tasting is coming up on Wednesday next week. If you’re a champagne fan try to lay your hands on some. Bibendum appears to have a limited amount too as do D & M wines in San Francisco.

* PS There’s a rather useful list of recommended restaurants, hotels and wine shops in the Champagne region on the Agrapart site. Probably the ones that stock their champagne but that’s a recommendation in itself.