Santa Margarita Prosecco: Sparkling wine produced in the Veneto, Italy, outside Venice. Brilliant, simple and crisp, a perfect start. Nice, easy bubbles, but a bit pricey, probably would retail for £10, a lot for Prosecco: 8.4.

Margues de Monistrol, 2004, Cava: Sparking wine from Penedes, around Barcelona. Slightly lemony, with a hint of green olive, a bit acidic, but a bargain at £8 retail: 8.4.

Most preferred: the supermarket Champagne! Tesco Premier Cru at about £15 a bottle. This is a sparkling wine engineered in a laboratory to best fit the British notion of what Champagne should taste like. Almonds and Italian-style biscuit. A smooth oakiness, with plenty of bubbles. Also, a little too sweet. This makes people, Brits in particular, think they are savouring something more then they really are…it works though, wining the 2005 Wine International award for Best non-vintage Champagne, beating out some French contenders that sell their wines for much, much more. Would score higher if not so predictable: 8.5.

The tasting for the Islington Conservative Party was meant to be the best ever, and it was. Sparkling wine tasting: What could go wrong? Well, having less than 20 people showing up…at any rate, it was a blast. Yours truly is working the speaking circuit like a Clinton. Large, in-charge and, usually, full of crap.

Just kidding.

The night was tinged by politics of course, but what do we really care about? No, let’s talk about something that benefits us. (May have just lost that contract.)

Santa Margarita Prosecco: Sparkling wine produced in the Veneto, Italy, outside Venice. Brilliant, simple and crisp, a perfect start. Nice, easy bubbles, but a bit pricey, probably would retail for £10, a lot for Prosecco: 8.4.

Marques de Monistrol, 2004, Cava: Sparking wine from Penedes, around Barcelona. Slightly lemony, with a hint of green olive, a bit acidic, but a bargain at £8 retail: 8.4.

Most preferred: the supermarket Champagne! Tesco Premier Cru at about £15 a bottle. This is a sparkling wine engineered in a laboratory to best fit the British notion of what Champagne should taste like. Almonds and Italian-style biscuit. A smooth oakiness, with plenty of bubbles. Also, a little too sweet. This makes people, Brits in particular, think they are savouring something more then they really are…it works though, wining the 2005 Wine International award for Best non-vintage Champagne, beating out some French contenders that sell their wines for much, much more. Would score higher if not so predictable: 8.5.

During a ‘meeting’ last night, enjoyed the 2004 Cape Mentelle Cabernet Merlot from Margaret River, Australia. My esteemed colleague called it ’spicy.’ But spicy is really only an OK descriptor, for this wine is better than that. It’s not aromatic spices, cardamom, fenugreek, etc. More like very slight cinnamon or clove. Perfect balance, mouth-feel, earthy expression. Almost took the ouch out of the four-time mark-up at the wine bar: 9.0 (£24).

La Baume 2005 Merlot, South of France, £5.50, has a tasting note on the front label: Dark Cherry and Spicy(!), Fruit Characters, soft and round. A wonderful idea, if completely untrue. Actually it is vile, tense and terse. No balance and burns the throat. Smells like Teen Spirit: 7.6.

Now the 2004 Palandri Estate Cabernet Merlot, West Australia, Reserve, £8…that’s much better: Black olive, blackberry, oak and dill. Smooth in alcohol but bright in feeling. Dark colour. Inky texture. Great for the price; and, you know, for having one glass too many as its hangover after-burps will go well with your morning coffee: 8.7.

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