By Subhash Arora

The dark black Champagne bottle containing one of the world's largest-selling Cava is quite a familiar sight in many Delhi restaurants and hotels, notably the Hyatt Regency, where you can order a bottle and justifiably imagine you are having a Champagne.

Freixenet is made in huge quantities from indigenous Spanish grapes -- Parellada (40%), Macabeo (35%) and Xarel.lo (25%) -- using the traditional method employed in Champagne making, where the secondary fermentation is done in the bottle. This may not be the real McCoy but at the duty-paid retail price of Rs 850, it is as good as the real thing as it can get.

Just make sure before picking it up from a retail vend that it has been stored properly. Otherwise, you may blame me for recommending it.

It is an uncomplicated, easy-drinking sparkler that is pleasantly off dry - the Spanish system allows for higher residual sugar (up to 15 gms/litre) for a Brut, which more than what's fine in the case of Champagne. But this makes it a good food wine with slightly hot Indian dishes. The bubbles are fairly persistent and acceptably small in size and OK in quantity. They last for 15 minutes in the glass. The drink is crisp, citric and fresh on the palate with fair after-taste.

Serve at 6 degrees C. Do not swirl or you will lose the bubbles faster. Its low alcohol content of 11.5 % and slightly sweet flavour make it a pleasant companion with most Indian vegetarian, fish and chicken dishes. If you love sparkling wine, you may even like it with butter chicken. At Rs 1,200-1,500 a bottle in most restaurants, it is quite competitively priced as well.