English sparkling wine was on Wednesday toasting a spectacular victory over the French version – as an elite group of Parisian experts said it was better than champagne.

A team from Britain’s Wine and Spirit Trade Association travelled across the Channel and invited some of the biggest names in the Gallic restaurant and bar trade to a blind tasting.

Many were convinced that some of the UK-produced fizz was from their own country, and in most cases they preferred it to champagne.

In the first tasting of its kind in Paris, those taking part said the English sparkling wine was better in two out of three categories, and it drew with the champagne in the other.

Among the successes was a £40 bottle of 2009 Nyetimber sparkling wine produced in West Sussex. Nine members of the 14 member panel thought it was better than a £65 bottle of Billecart-Salmon Grand Cru champagne.