The Times - UK (2022-05-28)

the times Saturday May 28 2022

We e ke n d 3

2019 Specially

Selected

Crémant du

Jura Brut

France,

11.5 per cent

Aldi, £9.99

A brilliant, champagne-

method bubbly, made

from the chardonnay

grape. With less

sweetness than

most, its marzipan

and quince fruit

never fails to

impress.

Prince

Alexandre

Crémant de

Loire Brut

France,

12.5 per cent

Waitrose, £9.69,

down from £12.99

The Loire’s

champagne-method

crémants are

zingier than those

from elsewhere in

France. This golden

bubbly makes a

perky celebration

swig, all waxy lemon

twist and yellow

apple fruit.

Finest

Prosecco

Brut

Italy,

11 per cent

Tesco, £8.50

Fresher and with a

tad more fruit than

previous bottlings,

plus a dab of

pinot noir and

chardonnay each

boosting the

blend, this light,

pear and almond-

fruited fizz,

exclusively from

the 2021 vintage,

is worth the

extra £1.50.

2018 The Best

Marques de los

Rios Cava Brut

Spain,

12 per cent

Morrisons, £9

One of the driest

cavas on sale

now, with 15 months

of ageing, and

as such it’s the

bottle to crack open

when more

discerning guests

are expected. Go on

— splash out a bit

more on this

elegant, citrus-

blossom and lemon-

peel bubbly.

Crémant

d’Alsace Brut,

Arthur Metz

France,

12 per cent

Asda, £7.50

Last chance to snap

up Asda’s tutti frutti-

scented crémant,

made from a mix

of pinot blanc and

pinot noir grapes,

before it’s axed.

A shame —

because its

lemon zest and

nutty, just-baked

brown-bread

oomph is easily

worth a tenner.

Extra Special

Organic

Prosecco Brut

Italy, 11.5 per cent

Asda, £7, down

from £8

If it’s cheap but not

too sticky fizz you

want for your

celebrations, the

organic versions

often have

more flavour

and finesse

than standard

prosecco. Asda’s

uplifting, frothy,

orchard-fruited

fizz is vegetarian

friendly too.

play Scrabble or poker. Three times a week

she does a Zoom workout with her person-

al trainer.

“I put on weight during that wretched

pandemic but I’ve got rid of it,” she says,

smiling. She looks lovely in her green

jacket and silk shirt. It looks like Chanel.

“It’s Zara,” she says, delighted. “Designer

clothes are far too expensive these days.”

The real secret to a woman’s happiness,

she says, is to keep working. She certainly

enjoys remembering her amazing career

— there she is on Insta hanging out with

the Queen, Michael Jackson, Elizabeth

Taylor, Liza Minnelli, Andy Warhol — but

she is happiest getting her teeth into some-

thing, or someone, new. This summer she

will be writing her second volume of dia-

ries. And she is also attached to a film

about the last days of Wallis Simpson,

Duchess of Windsor, the American wife of

Edward VIII who abdicated in 1936.

“She enjoyed great parties in gay night-

clubs, so not too much of a stretch,” she

twinkles, looking at herself in a little heart-

shaped mirror stuck to the back of her

iPhone. “But I’m not Tom Cruise. No one

says, ‘Here’s £25 billion, off you go and

make your film.’ I have to fight for things.”

Our time is up and Collins makes a

discreet phone call. It sounds as if she’s

having a car brought round to the front.

But actually no, it’s her husband she’s

having brought round. Percy, who has

been tucked away around the corner

eating a ham and cheese sandwich, duly

arrives to escort her away.

She’s off to a fitting for the jubilee cele-

brations. She’ll wear a dress she designed

herself and a Philip Treacy hat. She’s in

two minds about wearing her damehood

medal, though.

“I’ll ring Twiggy for advice, otherwise

[society interior designer] Nicky Haslam

will say, ‘Oh, she’s worn that great big

medal, absolutely shocking, how could

she?’ ”

We return to the subject of the Queen.

Will she step back from her duties perma-

nently after the jubilee?

“I think it would be terribly sad, but

better than the Queen dying. Death is

inevitable but that would be a tragedy.”

If Prince Charles assumed the role of

monarch, would he be known as prince re-

gent or consort, she asks me. I don’t know.

“Well, you should know!”

Again, just as you are getting comfort-

able it’s like being Tasered.

Her advice is that we all enjoy the jubi-

lee, whether it be the “Hags in Jags”, the

evening pop concert, the charismatic

Cambridges or “the other two”.

“I say enjoy it because I very much doubt

there’ll ever be another Platinum Jubilee.

Let’s be frank — we won’t see an extraordi-

nary woman like the Queen again.”

Takes one to know one and amen to

that.

Joan Collins will take part in

the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on

Sunday June 5 platinumpageant.com

People enjoy this fantasy

that I am a ‘superbitch’.

Powerful women are

portrayed as dangerous

Cava Brut,

Metodo

Tradicional

Spain,

11.5 per cent

Marks &

Spencer, £7

Cava’s champagne-

method sparklers

are terrific party

pops and suit

most palates and

purses. A new

label but the same

fruity, citrus-

scented bubbles

within — it’s a thirst-

quenching sip that

slips down all

too easily.

Specially

Selected Ribolla

Gialla, Vino

Spumante

Brut

Italy, 11.5 per cent

Aldi, £6.49

Ribolla gialla is an

unusual grape from

northeastern Italy

that, via the tank

method, makes

an invigorating

summer sparkler.

With a rich

panettone and

citrus-peel-styled

palate, it’s a great

prosecco alternative.

2018 Waitrose

No 1 Castillo

Perelada

Cava Brut

Spain,

11.5 per cent

Waitrose, £7.99,

down

from £10.79

One of my top

champagne-method

cavas and also a firm

favourite with

Spanish royals.

What you get is

masses of rich

lime pickle-spiced

fruit that has wide

party appeal.

Margaret in The Crown

COVER: MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGES/SHUTTERSTOCK. BELOW: YUI MOK/PA IMAGES; WENN/ALAMY; PEOPLE PICTURE/WILLI SCHNEIDER/SHUTTERSTOCK

More drinks next page

Jubilee

special

Celebrate! Top fizz

Jane MacQuitty’s supermarket picks

With her husband,

Percy Gibson