Fizz is no longer for the few

Fizz fans across the world bought 307 million bottles of the stuff in 2013, according to the Italian Sparkling Wine Observatory, while Champagne sales lagged behind at 304 million bottles.

This hasn’t come as a complete surprise, Prosecco has been growing in popularity for some time, boosted by its success in drinks like the Aperol Spritz, which took the South East by storm last summer.

Of course you may well be now thinking that, as I am a London-dwelling media lush, I am about as much in touch with the habits of the rest of the country as Kim Kardashian, but those figures do not lie: Prosecco has reached a tipping point.

It has a much more accessible taste - lighter in flavour, more citrusy and off-dry than Spanish rival Cava, and is much more accessible in price than Champagne.

It is therefore perfectly placed to tap into the so-called trend of “weekend millionaires” and the shift to lighter-styles of wine.

It makes simple cocktails that can command a hefty margin and is surprisingly great with food too, particularly with bar snacks, which is how the Italians do it.  Channel the Venetians with some arancini (crispy little risotto balls), or for simplicity’s sake, slices of Italian ham or chunks of good Parmesan.

Sell it by the glass, by the bottle, or a company called Frizzenti will even provide it on a font, but sell it you should.