Champagne fans buying bottles for Christmas urged to 'stick' to these three supermarkets

Shoppers who are planning to buy Champagne for Christmas have been urged to stick to Tesco, Aldi and Waitrose. The three supermarkets have all beaten a top brand in a blind taste test as we head through November and towards the festive season.

Tesco Finest Premier Cru Brut Champagne, which costs £25, was crowned the overall winner with a score of 82% and a Which? Best Buy accolade. Aldi also won praise from the panel for its Veuve Monsigny Premier Cru Brut Champagne.

Aldi scored 80% and also won a Best Buy endorsement. Waitrose’s brut NV champagne scored the same as Aldi and is also a “best buy”. At £25, it is described as having “pleasing peach, pear and apple flavours, and a superb nut and winter spice taste”.

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A champagne toast might be an annual festive tradition but with money tight in many households, Which? also road-tested cheaper sparkling wines. The cheapest of these, Lidl’s Prosecco Superiore Valdobbiadene, scored 80%. At £7.49, this budget bottle is an “excellent alternative to champagne, and perfect for Christmas parties”, it said.

Natalie Hitchins, the Which? home products and services editor, said its panel had identified “affordable and delicious options that were dramatically cheaper than alternatives from the big-name champagne houses”. “Our taste tests show that you don’t have to spend over the odds for a supermarket champagne or sparkling wine that delivers on quality and value for money,” she said.

It comes after Which? also revealed the best and worst mince pies for Christmas. Waitrose No.1 Brown Butter Mince Pies with Cognac came out on top for their "lovely pastry, an enticing aroma and generous nut, spice and citrus filling, with a subtle boozy warmth". These cost £4 for six, or 67p per pie, and were awarded the Which? Best Buy recommendation.

Aldi Specially Selected Mince Pies also impressed the judges with their "great buttery taste, snowflake design and tasty filling packed with fruit and spices". These were one of the cheapest on test, at £2.29 for six or 38p per pie, and also earned Which? Great Value endorsement.