THERE is nothing like a glass of fizz at Christmas, and Cava is perfect if you’re on a budget as you get all the taste of Champagne but at a fraction of the price.
The Spanish drink is a more budget-friendly cousin to champagne and Prosecco, making it perfect for the festive season.
To help you decide which bottles to stock up on, I tasted versions under £10 from Aldi, Sainsburys, Tesco, Morrisons, M&S and Lidl. Here’s what I thought…
Aldi Cava Contevedo
The cheapest of all the bottles I tried but also my least favourite.
It is very hard to argue with the price point and I thought the packaging was really classy but unfortunately it tasted like a cheap wine with bubbles and had a very strong aftertaste.
It also had a very strong, sweet smell which I didn’t enjoy.
- £5.79
- Value for money: 3 / 5
- Taste: 1 / 5
- Overall: 4 / 10
Sainsbury’s Brut Cava – WINNER
This bottle was my pick of the bunch! I loved its fruity flavour which somehow managed not to taste too sweet.
This cava has just the right amount of fizz for me and was so easy to drink. I went back for several more glasses!
At less than £7 a bottle there really is nothing not to like about this Cava.
- £6.50
- Value for money: 5/5
- Taste: 5/5
- Overall: 10/10
M&S Cava Finca Miguel
I really love what M&S have done with the packaging on this bottle, it doesn’t look like a supermarket own-brand bottle at all.
Sadly the taste didn’t quite match up to the aesthetic.
This is a completely non-offensive Cava, with a nice, citrus-like flavour but it lacked any real depth and after just one glass I was ready to move onto something else.
- £9.85
- Taste: 3 / 5
- Value for money: 3 / 5
- Overall: 6 / 10
Lidl Arestel Cava Brut
It’s amazing to think you can get a bottle of good quality Cava for just a fiver, but Lidl has done it!
With a light taste that was very refreshing to drink and is bound to be a crowd pleaser at any New Year’s Eve gathering.
I enjoyed this bottle a lot, but would have liked a bit more taste complexity to help the drinking experience feel more high end.
- £5
- Taste: 4 / 5
- Value for money: 5 / 5
- Overall: 9 / 10
Morrison’s Marques de los Rios Cava Brut
This is the most expensive bottle I tried, but if you’re willing to spend a bit extra, this is a really excellent bottle of Cava.
I liked how dry it was and loved the flavours of crisp, zesty apple.
I could easily have carried on drinking this all night. A great choice for toasting midnight!
- £9
- Taste: 5 / 5
- Value for money: 4 / 5
- Overall: 9 / 10
Tesco Condesa de Flores
Tesco have really pulled it out of the bag with the value for money here but despite this bottle being lovely and refreshing to drink, it didn’t exactly fill me with excitement.
It’s a great price if you’re looking to stock up on a few bottles for a party but it was a bit bland for my taste buds.
- £6.25
- Taste: 3 / 5
- Value for money: 4 / 5
- Overall: 7 / 10
How to save money on your supermarket shop
THERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop.
You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh, you’ll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time.
Making a list should also save you money, as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
This means ditching “finest” or “luxury” products and instead going for “own” or value” type of lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
If you’re on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too.
Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.
