Maybe they're saving it for the weekend, but I didn't hear many fireworks last night. A sign of the times?
If you need to liven things up a bit, without alarming your pets, how about making a quiet "phut" sound as the cork is carefully removed from a bottle of Champagne/Cremant/Prosecco? There's no need to get over excited and fire the cork through the ceiling just by letting it all go at once. You'll end up wasting most of the bottle and the objective is to save most of its delicious contents to drink. That's why you bought it in the first place! You have got some, haven't you? I advise that you check your stockpile of seasonal drinks to make sure you have enough for the upcoming festive season. Did you leave some in the garage... a bad move, as conditions are not ideal here for wine storage. Possibly, in a wine rack under the stairs, or in a cupboard? Probably, and more likely, just in a randon cardboard box left over from last year's festivities. I wouldn't be surprised if there were cobwebs on the lid. When did you last look inside? People really should opt to drink sparkling wines (of all types) more of the time. Any time. All of the time. Don't reserve it just for "special occasions", open it when the thought arises and you feel like a "lift" at the end of the day. You could leave space in the fridge door for the odd bottle of fizz as there's nothing worse than having to wait for your wine to chill, especially if you don't have an ice bucket (or even ice) to hand. This is supposed to be a "first world" country, after all.
Champagne is considered by many to be the only fizz worth drinking but, even with recent price increases, there are still bottles which really shouldn't be allowed on the market because the quality just isn't there. Purely sold on price alone (the lower the better), would you willingly expect your friends to suffer the consumption of excruciatingly acidic "wine" tasting of sour, unripe apples all in the belief that having the word "Champagne" on the label will magically transform such dire bottles into something vaguely drinkable?
Hopefully, you'll go for a decent bottle like Joseph Perrier (plug, plug). The Cuvée Royale Brut offers maturity with, according to US critic, James Suckling, notes of sliced-apple, lemon and crushed-stone aromas following through to a full body with a lovely depth of well-framed fruit. You'll keep your friends very happy if you serve this!
Personally, my favourite Champagne experience was an occasion when I was able to try the top-of-the-range Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs. I don't remember the vintage (even good memories fade with age), but it was a spectacular bottle made only from Chardonnay (the house speciality), and I've never had any other bottle since that came close to its quality. If you wanted to describe something as being "ethereal", this wine would be it. Wonderful, but you'll need to be an enthusiastic afficiando with deep pockets if you want some at today's price.
To get a hint of this mesmerising style, the non-vintage Blanc de Blancs from Ruinart is available here.
This brings me nicely to my favourite English alternative: Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs, at around half the price of the Ruinart NV Champagne, the newly released 2017, is hard to ignore, and really is that good.
Announced recently, Nyetimber's Blanc de Blancs (The 2016 vintage in Magnum), was awarded an exceptional 97/100 points, winning the "Champion Sparkling Wine Trophy" (Daniel Thibault Trophy) at the 2025 International Wine Challenge, a first for a non-Champagne wine in the competition's 34 year history. At the same awards, Cherie Spriggs, head winemaker, won "Sparkling Winemaker Of The Year". English sparkling wine is now officially the best in the world!
For parties and functions, at any time of year, I'd go with their award winning Nyetimber Classic Cuvée A very affordable fizz which won't disappoint whenever, or wherever it's served. This wine has a beautifully balanced taste and a fine, delicate mousse. On the nose, you'll find honey, citrus, and brioche, leading to flavours of ripe apricot, honeydew melon, baked apple, almond and pastries. A classically crisp, English bubbly from one of the country's oldest producers.
With continuing quality improvements, local and worldwide demand is soaring, and, as a consequence, new English vineyards are spreading across the country like wild fire, with even the Champenoise buying land in the south-east to set up production for wines to rival their own Champagne brands! Taittinger has created Domaine Evremond in Kent, while Pommery has also invested in the area planting vines around 10 years' ago. Who will win the battle? The British or the French? Time to turn the tide of history, I think.
Of course, if you're handling fireworks this weekend, you should stick to the non-alcoholic fizzy wine styles available on the market these days. The Veneto's La Gioiosa is a good place to start. Just be careful you don't take someone's eye out with an out of control cork, whatever the bottle.