Six bottles of fizz to raise your glass to (and not a drop of champagne).

There was a time when a celebration called for fizz, and that fizz had to be appellation d’origine contrôlée champagne. But you’d be wrong to discount other sparkling wines as less than the real deal. Where prosecco and cava used to be the drinks of choice for fuchsia-clad hens on a night out, now there’s craftsmanship and an emphasis on quality.

Other sparkling wines want in on the action, too. Sales of English sparkling wines are set to double over the next two years. Non-Champagne-made French sparkling wine, known as crémant, is tired of being overlooked in favour of one tiny region. There’s a natural wine version in the form of pét-nat, and Italy wants to remind us it also makes franciacorta. Don’t let anyone shame you for popping a non-champagne cork this summer. Here’s all the knowledge you need to convince the doubters, along with the bottles to try.

Is there such a thing as French sparkling wine not made in Champagne? Yes there is, and it’s crémant. Made in exactly the same way as champagne, though not necessarily with the same holy trinity of grapes – chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier – it’s champagne quality at prosecco prices. And, the French would say, with added finesse. Crémant de Loire, in particular, has been popular with professional winebibbers for a long time, but now it’s cropping up in supermarkets, bars and restaurants. Look for Loire, or Saumur, Vouvray, Anjou or Touraine on the label to make sure you’re getting the real deal.

Try this: Loire Valley Wines recommends Langlois-Chateau Crémant de Loire Brut NV as a perfect outdoor summer tipple.

langlois-chateau.fr

Prosecco is also raising its game. For those who thought champagne was the only fizz with rules, for an Italian sparkling wine to be called prosecco, its makers have to use at least 85 per cent glera grapes and from grape to bottle the whole process has to happen in the region of the Veneto or Friuli. We know it best in the spumante style, which means sparkling, but there are also tranquilo (still) and frizzante (semi-sparkling) proseccos. Using the Italian method of fermenting twice before bottling makes the bubbles bigger than those you find in champagne. Take care not to let it go to your head too fast.

Try this: FIOL prosecco is lemon coloured with a bouquet reminiscent of wisteria flowers, acacia and ripe apple. Fresh, lively and appealing with slightly sweeter notes on the palate.

fiol.it

If even good prosecco is a bridge too far for you, try franciacorta. It may be prosecco’s lesser known cousin, but it has a precise champagne-ness to its style. Made in Brescia, it has to use chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot blanc, the first two being traditional champagne grapes, and it must be made using the classic, or champagne, method. Ms Emma Murphy, festival director of London Wine Week, believes it’s one to watch. “Prosecco has been at the top for a while,” she says. “Now it is time for other variants of sparkling wine to emerge from its shadow.”

Try this: Ferghettina Brut NV is made with 95 per cent chardonnay and 5 per cent pinot noir grapes to make a soft, apple and spice tasting glass of fizz.

ferghettina.it

You can legally produce cava anywhere in Spain, but the vast majority is produced in the small town of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia in Penedès, Catalonia. Most cava is made by just two companies, which has created a race to the bottom on price and therefore quality. According to master of wine Mr Liam Stevenson, who works with Borough Wines & Beers, smaller producers may struggle to get their voice heard, but produce some of the world’s finest sparkling wines. The three native varietals, macabeo, parrelada and xarel-lo combine well, and, if treated with the care they deserve, produce wines to challenge the best of Champagne.

Try this: Robert De Nola Cava has soft brioche tones with citrus notes, herbal bay leaf and lingering flavours of sweet orange. It is rounded and elegant, exhibiting velvety fruits with a finish of fresh almond.

boroughwines.co.uk

Pétillant naturel – pét-nat to its friends – is where the wine is bottled before fully completing its first fermentation, which allows carbon dioxide to be produced by the natural sugars found in the grapes. It may or may not get filtered once fermentation is complete, so be prepared to imbibe bits as you sip. Quality pét-nat can be extraordinary, with a light, fizzy mouthfeel and slight sweetness. Plus it’s low in alcohol. Raw and rustic it may be, but still one for a lively night.

Try this: Maison 54 Pétillant Naturel is a blend of chenin blanc and sauvignon blanc from southwest France. Dry, bright and fruity with notes of gooseberry and lime.

boroughwines.co.uk

Someone needs to come up with a less cumbersome name for the bubbles made in England. With soil and a climate similar to those of the Champagne region, some would argue it’s the closest thing you can get without it actually coming from that part of France. Big champagne houses such as Taittinger are muscling in on English vineyards, having spotted the potential. The difference is in the time it has to be laid down – in England only nine months compared with 12 for non-vintage and 36 months for vintage champagnes. Only the best palates could tell.

Try this: Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs is the favourite of Mr Ben Humberstone, sommelier at Simpsons In The Strand. Delicate in style and not too muscular, it’s great as an aperitif and one of the best wines you’ll find in the UK.

gusbourne.com

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