Value for money: Sparkling wine

Wyndham Estate Sparkling Shiraz €16.50 for 750ml Highs: This award-winning sparkling red wine is from a fairly well-known winemaker - at least one Pricewatch has heard of - and with its ruby-red colour, has a novelty value.

It is quite cheap and is filled with fizz and fruit. People fond of a decent Shiraz might find it worryingly easy to knock back.

Lows: Our fears may be irrational, but we were a little concerned that marrying a heavy red wine with lots of bubbles might lead to a severe New Year's Day hangover. Our panel of not-so-expert tasters also thought that this might be a bit gimmicky. "It's like they whooshed a bottle of red through a SodaStream," said one, although we're pretty sure the process was a lot more elaborate than that.

Verdict: Fizzy and fruity

Star rating: ***

Bollinger Special Cuvee NV

€52

Highs: One of the most famous champagnes on the market, a lot was expected of this, and it delivered. It is wonderfully dry, with vanilla flavours and tiny bubbles which keep it fizzing gently long after the competition has gone a bit flat. This trounced the cheaper Lidl champagne in our, admittedly unscientific, blind-taste test, with four of our five panellists going for it.

Lows: While this might make an excellent present, it'd be a bit thick to bring it to a party if it's just going to disappear into a drunken, unappreciative throng. We also couldn't escape the feeling that we were paying a little over the odds because of the name.

Verdict: Top dog, top dollar

Star rating: ****

Albert i Noya cava

€26

Highs: Our panel awarded this organically-produced and unusually-shaped (think bowling pins) bottle of cava second place thanks to its lovely sharp bite, almondy flavours and pleasingly-long finish. It has a nice lightness to it and we were hopeful that its organic roots might lessen the hangover.

Lows: Although it is half the price of the Bollinger, it is double the price of some of the more well-known cavas on the market and probably not twice as nice. It is also not likely to be easy to source - we found it in the excellent Sweeney's in Glasnevin.

Verdict: Nice and sharp

Star rating: ****

Cipriano de Venezia Prosecco

€10

Highs:In sheer value-for-money terms this cannot be beaten and, even leaving aside the price, it comes highly recommended with its lovely sweet, fresh flavours and delicate fizz (which is maintained right to the bottom of the glass) and all-round drinkability. While some Proseccos have a very low percentage of alcohol, this comes in at a creditable 11 per cent volume.

Lows: It needs to be opened with a corkscrew, which limits its celebratory appeal ever so slightly. While a tenner is good for a bottle of this quality, we were a little dismayed to learn that the same bottle costs €5.50 in Germany.

Verdict: Best value by far

Star rating: *****

Comte de Brismand Reserve Champagne

€19.99

Highs: This bubbly, bought in Lidl, creates a good first impression, as it looks like an upmarket champagne yet has a bargain-basement price. It also generates an impressive amount of fizz when it is poured and would be ideal, perhaps, for throwing into the mix at a New Year's Eve party.

Lows: It is nowhere near as nice as its rival champagne (although the grape varieties used are similar) and was far too acidic for Pricewatch's admittedly uneducated palate. It also lost much of its sparkle by the time the second glass came around and ended up tasting like a glass of not entirely pleasant white wine.

Verdict: Cheap but ordinary

Star rating: **