Cheers! It's a sparkling Shiraz

Good champagne is irreplaceable, but if you cannot get one due to restraints on supply or economics, don't settle for an inferior substitute. Instead, run to where they rack the red wines and choose a sparkling Shiraz.

I drank my first glass at a South Australian media gathering, a breakfast at a farmhouse where the produce of the region was put on display to impress visiting food and wine writers. It was a deep dark ruby red, wafted a tempting bouquet of currants and berries and it had bubbles!

The label on the bottle said "sparkling Shiraz", and fighting down prejudice against the memories of Cold Duck (sweetened fizzy burgundies produced for the college circuit), I took another glass, and did not need further persuasion.