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Why Trust Our Champagne Recommendations?
We conducted a rigorous blind taste test of champagnes and sparkling alternatives, crowning a £35 bottle as the clear winner. This affordable option delivers a taste experience comparable to premium bottles costing twice as much, making it an ideal choice for any celebration.
Finding the Perfect Fizz Without Breaking the Bank
Champagne often serves as the centrepiece of celebrations, but with prices frequently exceeding £50, finding a quality bottle that fits your budget can be challenging. To help readers make informed choices, we embarked on a mission to identify the best supermarket champagne available. Through meticulous blind testing, we evaluated a selection of expert-recommended bottles to uncover true value.
Our testing process ensured complete objectivity. We opened five bottles of supermarket champagne and sparkling alternatives from retailers including M&S, Tesco, Aldi, and Co-op. Each glass was taste-tested blind, eliminating any influence from price tags or brand labels. After scoring each offering based on flavour, aroma, and overall quality, one supermarket's champagne emerged victorious.
The Surprising Champion: Co-op's Les Pionniers
The winning bottle is Co-op's Les Pionniers vintage champagne brut 2013, priced at just £35.20. This champagne has already received recognition, being the only supermarket bottle to win the International Wine & Spirit Competition trophy in 2025. Our testers praised its complex flavour profile, noting nutty, dry characteristics with hints of citrus and baked brioche, reminiscent of toasted hazelnuts.
Wine expert Libby Brodie, featured in our guide to the best supermarket champagne, remarked that this bottle "outperformed wines nearly three times the price and hugely over-delivers for the price." At £35, it represents exceptional value, with a taste that rivals premium bottles costing double. While it's not available for online purchase, it's worth seeking out in-store for your next celebration.
If you're making a last-minute supermarket dash to pick up bottles for an event or simply stocking up on a popular fizz, we highly recommend heading straight to the Co-op aisle. This champagne proves that you don't need to spend a fortune to enjoy a sophisticated, celebratory drink.
