Champagne: The five best wines to buy for Valentine's Day

These fine lines of bubbles rising through the pale golden liquid equate to elegance, luxury and prestige. But let me add one more word to that list: garbage.

I cannot forget my shock at the first sight of the Champagne vineyards. Fragments of various garbage – plastic, broken glass, metal and other things – protruded through the hard dry soil. These were not sites used by third-party manufacturers seeking to meet the insatiable supermarket demand for bargain bottles.

Often, the names of top houses, creators of premium styles, were proudly displayed on them.

Green Champagne Vineyards of Jean-Marc Charpentier (Image: Champagne Charpentier Charly-Sur-Marn)

It's a memory that won't go away, and I doubt the trash will either. Removing it is too much of a task. It came mainly from Paris, for most of the last century, in a misguided attempt to fertilize the vines.

At the mention of this now, some manufacturers will become furiously defensive. Likewise, they often rage at any reference to the vast amount of chemicals and constant mechanical work that has also contributed to the sad soils I have seen. As great as the wines from the vines that grew in them were, they have colored my view of Champagne ever since.

But the practice goes further, and the current enthusiasm for environmentally friendly products is developing in Champagne, as elsewhere in the world of wine. This column was inspired by a recent article (by Richard Woodard at DrinksBusinessNews) about Ruinart's viticulture initiative, which replaces rows of vines with wildlife-friendly hedgerows, with plans to plant trees behind them.

Victor Gandon, who is in charge of the project, acknowledges the problem: “We've had some really serious soil dieback problems in Champagne,” he told Woodard. He laments the lack of biodiversity in the vineyards due to the cultivation of only vines and the use of heavy mechanical equipment.

Ruinart is not alone. Louis Roederer's efforts to improve the soil include a justly noted pioneering approach in adopting organic and biodynamic culture, and Taittinger is another major house that prioritizes environmental protection on its large vineyard acreage.

“Biodiversity is a successful balance,” says Taittinger vineyard director Christelle Rinville. “Good grapes make good champagne.”

Small growers are among the biggest proponents of green viticulture. A typical Jean-Marc Charpentier, head of his eponymous family vineyard for eight generations, where he practices organic and biodynamics. Simplicity and authenticity, along with patience, are his staples, and among the outstanding results is the elegant, delicate Charpentier Terre d'Emotion Brut Vérité (£50, thewhiskyexchange.com).Charpentier's Terre Emotion is an excellent example of Champagne, but at £50 more than double the price of the coffee recommended below (Image: Courtesy of Producer)

But while the number of organic Champagne producers has grown dramatically in recent years, their share is much smaller than in many other regions of France. Joining them is more hindered by the many problems that arise in a region favorable only to vines.

Overall, the industry body Comité Champagne has many ambitions for a greener future, but it will take time to achieve them.

In the south of Spain, where quality coffee is a serious and tempting alternative to champagne, things are very different. Organic production has increased by about 250% in the last five years, and by the end of 2025, all coffees in the guada superior category (reservas, gran reservas and paraje calificados for specific locations) must be fully organic.

And for all coffees, the regulatory board strongly insists on sustainability both in the vineyards and in production as a whole.All quality coffee will soon have to be organic, and this sample, available from Islington Wine, is a great price at £16 (Image: Courtesy of Producer)

To test the potential, and with Valentine's Day just around the corner, here's a great coffee at a great value from a grower completing a full organic conversion: Roger Gular Reserva Brut 2019 (£16, Islington Wine), aromatic and full-bodied with fine bubbles, perfect for drinking now.

For other festive winter drink ideas, let's start with two warm reds from South America. Errazuriz Max Carmener (£13, Tesco) comes from a range named after the Chilean company's inspirational founder and has an attractive, ripe fruit character along with a subtle leafy note to refresh the palate.Rhône reds are perfect for winter, and this Lirac costs significantly less than the neighboring Chateauneuf du Pape (Image: Courtesy of Producer)

Candy Q Malbec (£13 mix-6, Majestic) hails from the high Andes, where cool nights help preserve juiciness, along with a concentration of dark red fruit and a hint of spice.

Red Rhones are also ideal now, and a memorable example is organic Domain Giraud Lirac (£22, gauntleys.com, virginwines.co.uk: very complex, aromatic, elegant and delicious – challenging the best of the more expensive Châteauneuf across the river.Errazuriz Max is the recommended bottle for February (Image: Courtesy of Producer)

And the last white-green proposal, Villa Maria Organic Earth Garden Sauvignon (£12, Tesco), has all the aromatics expected of a New Zealand grape.