Fancy a glass of English sparkling? Because some of it is really very good. The best stuff regularly beats equivalent Champagnes in blind tastings, even when French sommeliers are on the judging panel. In fact, our best fizz is THE most difficult to pick out against other sparklings in a blind tasting vs Champagne.

But let’s go back. Champagne’s story was not always about fizz. The region spent considerable time trying to make still wines that weren’t as good as their counterparts in Burgundy, until us Brits developed a taste for the fizzy stuff. Suddenly, the Champenoise had a market for their (overly) acidic wines that they could make into something special and different and that we’d pay good money for. And now, in return, we’re finally getting a piece of the action.

The humble grape is like any fruit. The more sun and warmth you give it, the riper it gets. More sugar means more alcohol, and acidity falls with ripeness. The Champagne region has had THE perfect climate for the last century or so — absolutely ideal for sparkling wine that needs grapes with high acidity. But now, with average temperatures having risen over 1 degree Celsius in the last 30 years, it’s us Brits who have the climate for producing those fresh, apple- and citrus-like, energetic sparkling wines that Champagne has become so famous for. Cooler summers means later harvests, longer hanging time for grapes on the vine, and more complex fruit.

The Champenoise have also seen what’s happening. Taittinger, the storied Champagne house, has bought 250 acres near Faversham in Kent, and Pommery have released the first French-owned English Sparkling wine, Louis Pommery. It’s a trend that will only continue. Our soils are very similar to those in Champagne and our climate is only going in one direction. What’s more, our land is cheap. A hectare of good vineyard land in Champagne will set you back circa £970,000 versus just £45,000 in the south of England (there or thereabouts). So it doesn’t take a degree in rocket science to understand the trajectory here.

In response, Champagne growers are now producing more still wines, particularly whites from Chardonnay grapes, while we are seeing a land-grab for vineyards in the South of England to plant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier to make sparkling wines. It’s still a tiny business. We’ve got less than 4000 hectares under vine vs over 30,000 in Champagne, which goes someway to explain the high prices of English fizz. But it’s selling very well despite the cost, with sales growing at over 10% a year.

Not only does the best English fizz taste terrific, it costs about the right money too. One of our best value Sparklers is made in Kent by Chapel Down — you can pick up at about £22 a bottle. It’ll beat any Champagne you can throw at it for that price or less. Then Nyetimber, one of our very best English Sparklers from Sussex, will set you back about £30 a bottle. Or you could go for half a bottle of Veuve Clicquot for about the same money. I know what I’d plump for.

Five English sparklers I rate as unbeatable from anywhere in the world at their price. In no particular order: