Come Christmas and New Year's Eve, champagne corks from the likes of Dom Perignon, Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot will go flying past in celebration, not least at Mr D's place. I've been to Champagne in France and choosing the best champagne, ordering champagne at a bar and knowing what you're drinking can be pretty intimidating - so I've pulled together my 'everything you need to know about champagne' top tips to share with you...

What is champagne?

• It's a sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of north-eastern France which has had sugar added once bottled to produce bubbles in the wine. Never tell a Frenchman they do it to hide bad wine. Never.
• It's a blend of three grapes - chardonnay for the creamy yet dry mouthfeel; petit meunier for the lively, pungent aroma; and pinot noir for body and depth. If anyone asks.
• Only wine from Champagne can legally be called champagne - the French are pretty serious about that too. It's centred around Reims and Epernay an hour east of Paris.

What's on the label?

• The term 'NV' or 'non-vintage' means the champagne is a blend of wines from more than one year (harvest). There's nothing wrong with this. Unless you're trying to leak cash, of course.
• Many champagnes are marked as 'brut' - describing it as relatively dry. 'Extra brut' means extra dry, while 'demi-sec' means semi-sweet, 'sec' means sweet. You'll want to avoid the sweet ones.
• 'Blanc de Blancs' champagnes are 100% chardonnay, so they tend to be quite fresh.
• 'Blanc de Noirs' exclude chardonnay, so they have more body.

How to pick a great champagne

• 'Prestige cuvee' on the label - it's a producer's statement that this is the best blend in their range.
• 'Premier' or 'Grand' cru means the vineyard(s) are legally designated as superior ('premier' is the superior of the two) so what's in the bottle should taste great.
• Avoiding vintages - you'd have to know which were good years and which bad, otherwise you're paying a premium to take a gamble...
• Drink-up - they all taste different, so keep trying until you find one you like!

What about sparkling wine?

If you're in Italy, reach for the prosecco. In Spain, the cava. For when you're not taking things too seriously, 'sparkling wine' from the New World and, these days, England. The quality is often very good and prices much more reasonable, but it's just not the same, is it?

Now try one of these. Best champagne for...

...blowing the budget: Armand de Brignac Brut Gold. This one's the daddy. A prestige cuvee made (like Krug) only from premier and grand cru grapes, presented in a gold bottle with a hand-made pewter label. Currently the world's best champagne.

...impressing: Tattinger. It's still family-owned, well-produced and is heavier on the chardonnay so a fresh, lively champagne.

...impressing: Heidsieck & Co. Monopole. Heavier on the pinot noir so has a greater depth for those who like a good body.

...small producers: Le Drappier Premier Cru. An exceptional champagne for the price. A smaller producer so harder to find but the quality's in the bottle, not wasted on the label.

...New World sparklers: Both Deutz from New Zealand and Jansz from Tasmania are well respected sparkling wines.

...rose: Ruinart rose: Rose wines are hugely popular right now, the best are great for Summer with flavours of strawberries and raspberries.

Remember...

Chilled champagne is best - around 7-9 degrees centigrade. Enjoy it from tall, fluted glasses which maximise the bubbles.

You're best off keeping all this to yourself though - knowledge is nothing if everyone's got some.