Those who appreciate Champagne may be interested in sampling a little-known beverage also produced in the region by resourceful winemakers.

Cathy Huyghe of the Gloucester Daily Times described her first time tasting Ratafia, which is made by blending leftover Pinot Meunier juice with brandy:

"Ratafia has … a very unique flavour, reminiscent of champagne but buoyed by the strength of the brandy," she explained.

The drink is aged for two years in oak barrels, giving it a pale copper colour "like freshly-made caramel".

Ms Huyghe went on to note "aromas of citrus and a denser sort of elderflower" in the Ratafia, which came from the Veuve Doussot label, while on the palate she found dried and crystallised fruits.

In other Champagne news, French experts recently asserted that the correct way to pour a perfect glass of bubbly is in fact to tilt the glass as one would a beer, rather than pouring straight down the middle as was previously believed.