Bubbles are an essential part of a wedding. I remember we served Yalumba Angas Brut at ours. It was less than $5 a bottle back in 1991. I wasn’t being stingy, hell, I wasn’t paying (thank you Gordon and Judy) it was actually really good, having finished third in a blind tasting against far more illustrious local and French competition. But this wasn’t our wedding. This was Figaro’s, and it was an excellent night. I came close to tears when Cherubino sang his/her aria about love ‘Voi che sapete che cosa e amor’ so by the time the interval arrived I was thirsty. There were four of us – a bottle of something seemed a reasonable solution.

Now, the thing about bubbles is that you are expecting an uplift of some sorts, so there’s more of a chance of being disappointed; it’s a sad moment when an expensive bottle of champagne opens with a self-conscious fart sound instead of a proud, loud pop – it usually means the wine has been oxidised.

There was nothing wrong with our Chandon NV. The bead (aka bubbles) was fine, the dosage (the sugar solution they add before corking) not too dry, and the finish was clean and fresh. $55 didn’t feel like a rip off and I was surprised to see it being advertised the next day for under $20.

You get a better idea of how good or bad the bubbles are after the first two glasses, but alas, we had to return to our seats.

“I only drink Champagne on two occasions, when I am in love and when I am not” Coco Chanel