The world famous wine authority, Jancis Robinson, compiled a list of the top 30 quality fizz for Christmas, ranging in price from £ 350 to £ 9.99. The list appeared in the Weekend Financial Times of December 13, 2009

26 of the 30 best bottles were made in Champage, and of the four non-Champagne sparklers, two were from Limoux, confirming the quality of the fizz capital of the South of France.

“Careful winnowing was needed to produce the list of distinctly superior wine buys” she said, cautioning her readers against many of the inferior bargain-basement champagnes flooding the market at present.

The Blanquette from Rives-Blanques has made a name for its clean, crisp qualities, summed up by Jancis Robinson as “refreshing”.