Fab fizz for a few less bucks

For shoppers, it is truly a cause for celebration. Cheap supermarket Champagnes and sparkling wines have seen off more prestigious and expensive rivals in taste tests.

A panel of experts ranked a £12.99 bottle of bubbly from Tesco top in a blind survey of 35 Champagnes and fizzy wines. Vintage offerings from Bollinger, Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot - in some cases costing twice as much - scored much lower.

Consumer magazine Which? said its survey showed opting for famousname labels to mark a special occasion was no longer a must.

Editor Helen Parker added: 'The good news is you don't have to splash out or buy a well-known brand to enjoy delicious Champagne.' Tesco's Premier Cru Champagne Brut NV was among the cheapest of the 24 unsweetened bubblies sampled.

Described as 'elegant and balanced, with depth and complexity', it left all rivals trailing - including the chain's more expensive vintage.

Second was Champagne H Blin Brut 1996, costing £18.99 from Oddbins, followed by G H Martel & Co Prestige Brut (£15.99 at Safeway).

The most expensive bottle tested, the £29.99 Champagne Bollinger, was at No.12 and MoÃt & Chandon Brut Imperial (£20.47) was at No.13.

Among sparkling wines, however, cheaper brands fared less well. The top wine, Deutz Marlborough Cuvee, was also most expensive at £10.99. It was the only one to make the Top Ten.