With most Brits firmly off splurging and back to counting the pennies, there has probably never been a better time to consider adding some extra New World fizz to your list. Andrew Catchpole joins a panel of sommeliers to see what’s on offer and work out how you could sell it

Superlative examples and high prices on the Gold List, so if it’s bargains you’re after, look lower down!

Some undeniably excellent wines in this price band, with only perceived youthfulness preventing a slew of Golds

Over 1,500 wines can be boiled down to this: the hallowed Sommelier Wine Awards Gold List for 2011...

The Sommelier Wine Awards doesn’t give out trophies per category because we’re worried that tasters will feel under pressure to dispense extra awards in categories where they may not believe the wines are up to it. Instead, in keeping with the whole ethos of the competition, we leave the judgement up to the sommeliers…

Some great wines and amazing prices. In fact, it was only the category’s persistent (and troubling) lack of fashionability that prevented more Golds being awarded

A decent showing for all styles at the Silver and Bronze levels, though the Gold List this year remained the preserve of pricier tawny and vintage entries

No Golds, but plenty of positive feedback. A good hunting ground for those of you who ‘do’ esoteric on your list

A poorly performing category in previous SWAs, this year sparkling rosé managed to provide a string of good examples across all the price points

Though entries at this price are still dominated by NV Champagnes, this year’s slot on the Gold List went, for the first time, to the New World

Sparkling Wine & Champagne: Under £14

Yes, it’s chic. And yes, it’s elegant. But its higher price means that if you want to sell rosé champagne during an economic downturn, you’re going to have to work harder than ever. Natasha Hughes reports

With prestige cuvées harder to sell than ever, now seemed the perfect time for Imbibe to take a look at ‘straight’ vintage champagne. Chris Losh joins our tasters several hundred feet above London for a taste of the high life

More than 50 fortified wine brands will represent 14 regions from around the world at the inaugural Big Fortified Tasting – BFT for short – next month.

Sparkling wine is a growing force in the UK. And with the whole ‘drink local’ campaign also on the rise, now seemed the perfect time to get to grips with Blighty’s sparklers. Susanna Forbes doffs her bowler hat, stiffens her upper lip and prepares to give Johnny Fizz what for!