Whether it's a sunny spring afternoon, or a chilly autumn evening, few things add sophistication to any event (a quiet night in front of the telly also counts as an event!) like a glass of bubbly in your hand. And no celebrations are ever complete without those fizzing bubbles rolling around in your mouth. But you do not need to be celebrating to enjoy a glass of South Africa's best MCC's.

So, what is the difference between Champagne, Méthod Cap Classique (MCC) and Sparkling Wine, and what makes each of them so special? To understand the difference, you first need to know what each of them are.

Champagne is a sparkling wine that has been produced in the Champagne region in France since the early parts of the 18th century. Many historians credit the classic french sparkling wine to a monk named Dom Perignon.

Method Cap Classique adheres strictly to the same methods invented by Dom Perignon, and now still in use in the making of Champagne.

Champagne, Prosecco and MCC are all sparkling wines, but not all sparkling wines can be either a champagne or an MCC. As soon as the winemaker does not strictly adhere to Method Chamenoise(traditional method), the wine may only be called sparkling wine.

Now that we know a bit more about what each of these are, let's look at the most important thing. Taste

The most immediate difference is the bubble size. Pouring a glass of sparkling wine, the first thing you notice is the bubbles in the glass. Compared to MCC and Champagne which are identical, sparkling wine has larger bubbles, which translates to a harsher mouthfeel.

The craft beer market has really taken off in the last few years. There are so many new quality microbreweries starting up, that it might be hard to decide what you would like. That's where we come in. We take some of the guess-work out of it by trying as many new craft beers as we can get our hands on. The best of those, make it to our store. Our list of lagers, ales and saisons are by no means complete. There are some very good craft beers only available from the various breweries' own taprooms. If you want us to try a craft beer that we do not stock, mail us your suggestion. We might just be able to stock it for you, and in doing so, introduce it to a wider audience. Because, let's face it. There is nothing better than sharing a beer with a few friends.