PriSecco Mirabellengold

Most sparkling drinks get ruined by heat. This one is designed to survive it. The producer's instruction is specific: stand the sealed bottle in a 55°C water bath for thirty minutes, then open it carefully with a cloth over the cork. What you end up with is a warm apéritif that still has bubbles in it, which is an unusual thing to hold. Cold, it's a mirabelle drink first, 55 percent golden plum juice with lemon verbena cutting across the top and rosemary and tarragon adding a resinous lift underneath. The body is full and round with a faint bitter almond note and a gently sweet close. At 29 calories per 100ml it's the lightest thing in the range. Serve chilled at 8 to 10°C, or warm next to a mirabelle crumble.