IT IS quite an occasion when a new champagne brand launches, and Sainsbury's stores are accordingly popping the corks to celebrate the arrival of the Tsarine Tete de Cuvee Brut NV.

This worthy new addition is made by Champagne Boizel. It is a high quality wine made from equal parts Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. It is based mainly on the 1999 vintage and uses up to 30 per cent reserve wines.

Sainsbury's wine buyers are aware that it can be difficult to encourage customers to trade out of the better known brands, but apart from its quality, Tsarine has one other bonus -- its packaging. It comes in an eye catching bottle with a unique spiral design. Tsarine is priced at £19.99.

FORGET the more usual grape varieties -- chardonnay et al may well be on their way out according to Aldi.

The supermarket predicts that 2003 will be the year when we start to drink many more wines made from the more unusual sounding grapes . . . and not only from the New World.

To prove its point Aldi is offering two French white wines -- and Organic Vermentino Vin de Pays d'Argens at £3.49 from Provence, and Domaine Bouscau 2001, a blend of Gros Manseng and Colombard at £3.99 from Gascony.

The Vermentino is a tasty deep coloured white wine from the Argens Valley where the grapes are grown without artificial herbicides, pesticides or fertilisers.

The Domaine Bouscau is wonderfully rich and aromatic thanks to the Gros Manseng, yet contains a fruity undercurrent thanks to the Colombard.

IT JUST has to be Mumm Champagne on Mother's Day -- so with this in mind Morrisons has reduced the price of its Mumm Cordon Rouge by £7.

It is now on offer at £12.99. Also on offer is the delicate pink champagne Lanson Rose, down by £3 to £19.99, and the Rondel Extreme Cava down to £3.99 from £5.99.