After a rather turbulent year when big-brand prices have bounced around a lot, our advice is to stick with our lesser-known growers, and of course our own label Tanners Champagne for proven quality and value.

Often blended from dozens of individual cuves, so that the ‘house style’ is consistent, well-made champagne not only has quality, finesse, charm and expression, it is also brilliant with food whether you are drinking the non-vintage, rosé or neglected ‘demi-sec’. In actual terms of what you are paying, we would advise that champagne still cuts it, while drinking vintage champagne is still a wonderful experience.

We champion the champagnes from growers, people who grow their own grapes and make their own wine. We have two growers in the Montagne de Reims: Michel Arnould & Fils are at Verzenay, André Clouet is in Bouzy. Champagne J-P Robert comes from Voigny in the north of the Aube.

Three champagne houses - one in Reims, one in Epernay and one in Aÿ just over the River Marne - stand out as being bastions of quality and all three are still family controlled – we thoroughly approve and you can see the difference between them and the more commercial houses. Louis Roederer has long been a favourite of ours for its rich champagnes which take on great complexity with age be it Brut Premier, vintage or the recently fashionable Cristal. In relation to giants like Moët, Bollinger is surprisingly small and recherché, but enjoys a big following in Britain. We are very pleased that they have recently bought Ayala, probably the least-known of the erstwhile grandes marques, which is a super addition to the range here, quite rounded and soft. Bollinger itself has a dry, mealy, toasty style which results from fermentation in oak barrels, a practice which is rare in Champagne. Just off the famous Avenue de Champagne drag in Epernay is Pol Roger which is in the hands of the de Billy and Pol Roger families. These houses give you great choice of the best available wines on the market.

Robert Boutflower