Perhaps unexpectedly, this quote is from the economist John Maynard Keynes. Whilst we always keep a bottle of Champagne in the fridge for special occasions (sometimes, the special occasion is that we've got a bottle of Champagne in the fridge), if we are channelling our inner economist, we often turn instead to bubbles other than traditional Champagne: Cava from Spain, a Cremant or Vouvray Brut from France, Moscato d'Asti from Italy or any of a number of fine Australian sparkling wines.

The appeal of these is their quality and value: without the global marketing costs of the big Champagne houses, excellent European sparklings can be had for less than half the price of Champagne.

Moscato, in particular, is very appealing to new wine drinkers - inexpensive, as we've mentioned, underpinned by flavours of  peaches and apricots, and somewhat sweet.

Our current European picks are - from dry to sweet -

Cava Torreblanca Brut at $26.60 a bottle, and the

Vallformosa Brut Rosé Classic $21.85, both from Spain, and the

Veuve Ambal Brut Blanc de Blancs $19.95 and

Domaine Albert Mann Crémant d'Alsace Brut 2008 $37.05, both from France, and the

Marcarini Moscato d'Asti 2010 $25.65 and

Alasia Moscato d'Asti 2010 $21.85 from Italy.

The Veuve Ambal Brut Blanc de Blancs in particular is a powerhouse for under $20 - made using the same technique as Champagne, delightful bottle and packaging, and remarkably complex and satisfying.

An elegant and restrained nose with red and black berries mixed with floral notes and spice aromas. The palate is rich and full bodied with an array of berry flavours. The class of the vintage is shown in the delicate and precise finish with varietal red berry overtones.

The cool climate Aude Valey in the south of France produces arguably the best French Pinot Noir outside of Burgundy. The high elevation and cooling evening breezes result in a clean and fresh wine with balance tannin and true varietal character.

Campbell Mattinson at Winefront summed this up well:

"This wine has been a runaway success since its inception a few years ago but quality-wise, this 2010 is the year for it to really crack the big time. It’s grown in France’s Aude Valley.

It’s been a tough time for bargain pinot noir drinkers of late. There are a couple of exceptions but in general, the heat of 2009 and the wet of 2011 have hardly made it easy for volume producers – and it usually takes volume to keep both the price down. 

This pinot noir from Le Chat Noir steps beautifully into the breach. It has a flash of cedary oak – not something I’ve seen in previous vintages – good density of fruit flavour, a rub of tannin and better-than-decent length. Better still, it smells perfumed and buoyant
and tastes fresh and vigorous. It doesn’t just scratch the pinot itch, it gets the heart racing. If you see this wine around, and you’re a pinot noir fan – BUY." 92 Points.

This is definitely an 'old world' Pinot and at $215.20 including delivery, a case or two of this will give you excellent value.

We like this wine for many reasons, one of them being just how darn French the name sounds. 

Two good reviews:

"A little pepper, red fruits, cherry, leather, peanuts and Provençal herbs. It’s medium- to full-bodied, flush and fruit filled, though it pulls through savoury and has no confectionery flavours. Love the shapely grainy tannin grip and freshness that this vintage has too.
Lively, with no real alcohol spike to speak of and a long dry finish. High drinkability and interest factor here. Fresher and lighter than the brooding 2007, and none the worse for it." Winefront 94 Points 

and

"The 2009 Cotes du Rhone Cuvee Speciale is cropped from 15 hectoliters per hectare, and is made with 100% stems from a vineyard just across the appellation border in Chateauneuf du Pape near Courthezon. Aged in tank, this is a fabulous sleeper of the vintage. Tasting more like a Chateauneuf du Pape than a Cotes du Rhone, the wine cuts a broad swath across the palate, with lots of garrigue, kirsch liqueur, new saddle leather, and gamey, smoky meats and herbs. Full-bodied, complex, super-flavorful, and ideal for drinking over the next 5-10 years. Sadly, only 1,000 cases were made of this wine."
Score: 92. —Robert Parker, October 2010.

The Tardieu-Laurent Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Spéciale 2009 is an excellent addition to a developing cellar and can be purchased here.

And we finish with a Barossa Shiraz from the 2008 vintage - the Magpie Estate 'The Sack', which is a restrained style of Shiraz (aka not overly heavy in alcohol or extracted) yet still very full-bodied and showing classic Barossa Valley characters. Much Barossa Shiraz became very heavy in alcohol and laden with oak; suited perhaps for the US market but less apealing to Australian palates.  

'The Sack' decidedly moves on from that and delivers, at least to our palate, a much more appealing wine: denser, more restrained and with great texture. It is a a sure-fire crowd-pleaser with lots of ripe, indulgent fruit, a soft, smooth texture with minty eucalyptus and vanilla sweetness and a good finish.

James Halliday
"Deep colour; a ripe and heady combination of red and black fruit, licorice, bitter chocolate and spicy oak; the palate is full throttled and generous, finishing with a charry toast note."
92 Pts

Wine Advocate
"The 2008 Sack Shiraz is 97% Shiraz with a dollop of Grenache. Deep garnet-purple colored, it gives very warm blackberry, cassis, and kirsch notes over some licorice and a touch of earthy underbrush and loam. Medium to full-bodied with medium-firm fine tannins, good concentration and refreshing acid, it has a long finish. Drink it now to 2016+."
Score: 90. —Lisa Perrotti-Brown, December 2010.

Just $272.60 a case, including delivery.