It’s nearly Christmas and excitement is reaching fever pitch in the Wines of South Africa office. We love the shopping, wrapping presents, writing cards, singing carols, putting up the tree, eating more than we thought was possible and drinking bubbles.

Our counterparts in South Africa will be heading to the beach and firing up the braai, while we’ll be admiring our new slippers and putting on a Christmas jumper but we’ll all be popping corks on some delicious South African sparking wines.

 In South Africa, the term Methodé Cap Classique (MCC) denotes a wine that is made with a second fermentation in the bottle, to get the bubbles. This is the way Champagne is made and is considered the gold standard in SA. A few great examples from South Africa are Pongracz Brut, available at Morrisons for £14.99; Graham Beck Brut, £12.99 in Waitrose; or Kaapse Vonkel Brut Simonsig Estate, £11.50 at Lea & Sandeman.