Researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona are threatening to make the sommelier obsolete, after successfully testing an electronic "tongue" which can classify champagne and other sparkling wines.

Using sensor systems and advanced mathematical procedures, the tongue was able to distinguish between three different types of cava, ranging from Brut to Medium-Dry, although the team hopes it will soon recognise a full range of seven.

Types of champagne vary according to the amount of sugar added after secondary fermentation, with Brut Natural being the driest at up to three grammes per litre.

It is hoped that the electronic tongue can be used to detect defects during the fermentation process, resulting in less wastage and more precise measurements.

It was recently revealed by the Daily Mail that a long-running feud between broadcaster Clement Freud and his brother, the figurative painter Lucian Freud, was settled before the latter's death with the delivery of a magnum of champagne.