Try Britain's bubbly

The French traditionally guffaw into their vin de pays at the thought that the English could produce wine. But last year's sweltering summer and the prospect of global climate change coupled with a healthy demand for their most famous sparkling wine - Champagne - could change that.

It was recently confirmed that three Champagne houses - they have refused to divulge their identities but it's thought that at least one is internationally known - have been in secret talks with the English Wines Group. The reason? They are considering buying land in the Sussex Downs because they believe it has the perfect natural ingredients for making sparkling white wine to rival their own.

If the move goes ahead it will not be the first time the French have looked beyond the sacred land of Epernay and Reims for vineyards capable of producing sparkling white wine.

In quality terms, some of the most successful ventures have been in the relative cool of New Zealand's South Island, famous for its vibrant sauvignon blanc.

One of the best is Pelorus, (Available from Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Philglass & Swiggot, £12.99), from the iconic Cloudy Bay winery now largely owned by Champagne giants Veuve Clicquot. Named after a dolphin, it has a fuller flavour than most Champagne wannabes and a deft elegance. Classy stuff.

Deutz Marlborough CuvÈe Brut, made by Champagne Deutz and industry giant Montana, is also made in the South Island. With its floral nose and creamy palate, it came second in our tasting. 'The sort of thing you would happily drink at any kind of party,' noted one taster. And at £10.99 from Majestic (save 20 per cent if you buy six) you can afford to.

In the Yarra Valley, a relatively cool part of Australia, Domaine Chandon (as in MoÃt & Chandon, the world's bestselling Champagne), make a dry, taut sparkling wine called Green Point (Sainsbury's, £9.99). It is a little tinselly on the nose but a decent wine.

Because of the heat, California is not the ideal place to make a sparkling wine, but the commercial opportunities of Napa Valley have caused many Champagne producers to set up there. Mumm produce a CuvÈe Napa Brut NV (Oddbins, £11.99), a breezy drink that is slightly thin on flavour - good if you prefer a less insistent fizz.

Intriguingly, some believe that Britain has the potential to produce better sparkling wines than the New World - and possibly even France.

The best wines are made in marginal climates, with enough sun for the grapes to ripen perfectly. If it's too hot, acidity levels drop which isn't good for the finished wine. If global warming can heat our southern counties just a few degrees more, we will have the climate that has worked so well for the champenois, while they will struggle with hotter temperatures.

What's more, Kent and Sussex have the chalk soil that is so prized across the channel. In a few years, CuvÈe Grande Bretagne might not seem such a joke after all.

English sparkling wine - no help needed

Decent sparkling wines are already produced on English soil without Gallic assistance. One of the most successful has been Nyetimber, owned by a Chicago couple. Some critics have even confessed to mistaking its 1995 vintage for Champagne. We tried the PremiËre CuvÈe Blanc de Blancs 1996, not quite such a good year. For me, the fruitiness has a slightly putrid whiff, a bit like papaya, but I'm swimming against the tide of approval on this one.

www.nyetimber-vineyard.com