Champagne may be a must-have for New Year’s Eve, but keep in mind that sparkling wine can be a stylish–and affordable–addition to dinner gatherings and cocktail parties year-round.
“People think that to get good quality, they have to spend a lot of money,” but that’s not true, says Brett Pontoni, wine and spirits buyer at Binny’s Beverage Depot.
Expensive champagnes generally are pricey because of prestige or fashion, he explains, not because they necessarily taste that much better.
Traditional champagnes tend to cost the most, so for good values, look for sparkling wines made outside the Champagne region of France and outside France in general.
Also, consider serving something like an Italian prosecco (sparkling wine) at the beginning of the evening, not just at the end of the night as a toast, Pontoni recommends.
“Sparkling wines are a great aperitif because the flavors tend not to be heavy handed, and the carbonation cleanses the palette a little bit,” he says.
One last tip: Sparkling wine should be served chilled but not icy, Pontoni advises. The colder the wine, the fewer flavors and aromas it will release.
Try these 10 sparkling wines under $20
– Nino Franco Prosecco Rustico, Italy ($7.99): “A great value,” says wine and spirits buyer Brett Pontoni. “Includes zingy citrus notes, more than you typically get from a prosecco.”
– Mionetto Il Prosecco, Italy ($8.99): Sweet, light and round, with a little less carbonation. “Comfort prosecco,” Pontoni says. And it opens like a beer–with a cap.
– Perelada Brut Reserva Cava, Spain ($8.99): Bright green apple, citrus fruit notes. Pontoni says the yeast gives it a strong “bready, nutty” flavor.
– Lisennes Cremant de Bordeaux, France ($13.99): Excellent small producer.
“Cremant” is a term for sparkling wines made outside the Champagne region.
– Pierre Jourdan Belle Rose, South Africa ($16.99): World class wine, traditional style. Nice round fruit, “flavors are rich when they go in; crisp at the finish.”
– Cerdon Vin du Bugey Rose, France ($14.99): Same grape that goes into beaujolais wine. “Sweet, rich, a little bready,” Pontoni says. Great with dessert.
– Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noir, California ($12.99): Same producer that makes Dom Perignon–“great winemakers.” Light and crisp, bright fruit.
– Mountain Dome Brut, Washington ($12.99): Pontoni calls this a “tremendous value,” a traditional-style champagne with bigger, bolder flavors.
– Pacific Echo Cremant, California ($12.99): Made in a French style that produces a lighter wine with finer bubbles. Citrus notes.
– Gruet Brut, Demi Sec, New Mexico ($12.99): Pontoni says this is a good value with a “touch of sweetness, but it isn’t a spumante,” a dessert wine.
– Coppola Sofia ’02 Blanc de Blanc, California ($18.99): Created as the wine for Sofia Coppola’s wedding to Spike Jonze. Herbal, spicy smell, creamy.
