It is always fun to raise one's glass for a toast. Whether we are christening a baby or a ship...celebrating a wedding, new job, birthday or simply enjoying the day, we often like to do so with something sparkling in our glass. From fine, bone dry Champagnes (the "real stuff") to a delicately sweet and frothy Moscato, there a number styles to please most palates -- all delivering a satisfying pop from the cork and a festive sense to one's glass. Though frequently delightful, and certainly a unique expression, Champagne is rarely cheap. Fifty bucks will often get you a very nice bottle, but I set my sights on more everyday bubbles -- bringing home the festive spirit for $20 or less...just in time for the holidays, but these are all nice for any day of the week.

(All these wines should be available in most major markets. I'm listing my local Ohio pricing...I'm sure most of these can be found for less around the country.)

NV Jacob's Creek Chardonnay - Pinot Noir Brut ($12) -- this Australian producer is king of many grocery store wine aisles, but it really is quite good...steadily improving as it warms. Lightly yeasty, it gives up apple, a scrape of toast, and a squeeze of orange...flavor wise, it brings in light doses of strawberry and cherry amidst a relatively thick mousse. I'd call it slightly soft, easy and inviting.

NV Gruet Demi-Sec ($13) -- I've poured this New Mexican sparkler numerous times for family and friends, and it almost always pleases. Where they have other similarly priced sparkling wines in their line (including a Brut), I always find the Demi to be the most universally pleasing. It is crisp and focused, while still seeming round. This Gruet features tart apples, juicy orange, and a nice bit of mineral. It has big bubbles and a clean finish...lots of fun to sip.

Cava is mostly produced in Northwest Spain employing the methode champenois (Champagne). It is typically composed of a trio of grapes -- Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada, though Chardonnay, Subirat and red varietals Granacha and Monastrell may also be used.

NV Cristalino Brut Cava ($9) -- when served cold, it offers plenty of mineral, apple and chalk in the nose. As it warms slightly, sweet citrus and zest is more prevalent. The same holds true with taste -- when served at cooler temperatures, it comes across as very dry and crisp...good streams of bubbles and plenty of acidity. All these hold as it warms, but peach and tangy apple add some fruit sweetness, along with slightly softer textures. This is available for $6 in some markets...though even at $10 it is a fine value and a pleasure to sip.

NV Cristalino Brut Rose Cava ($9) -- all of the above with a little food color added??? Hardly...
It has a fine crimson color -- lovely to look at in the glass. As with the above, it is pleasant, but fairly stoic when served straight from the ice bucket or 'fridge -- some strawberry, but mostly earth and stone. In 15 minutes, it is a bouquet full of strawberries, a bit of yeast, and snappy spice. In the mouth it shows juicy raspberries, and ripe strawberries. It is very clean through the middle, with tight streams of bubbles...soft and juicy at the close. It is delicious and great fun at a bargain price.

2001 Gramona Cava Gran Cuvee ($16) -- Scents of a rocky river bed, anise and apple pop from the glass. It has a creamy mousse upon the first sip, and maintains a pleasant thickness throughout. Tiny bubbles and taut acidity lend it vigor. There is plenty of apple flavor, mineral and toast...very long, and satisfying. This is a very impressive wine -- offering pleasure and complexity well beyond its pricepoint. Imported by Eric Solomon.

Prosecco is Italy's refreshing sparkler, primarily produced in the district of Valdobbiadene, in the region of Veneto. Prosecco is not made with the Champage method (with its extended aging), but instead uses the Charmat method to preserve its natural freshness.

NV Zardetto Prosecco ($11) -- perhaps the most ubiquitous Prosecco on the market (imported by Winebow) -- but it is good. It is clean and fresh, with plenty of minerals and earthy notes, along with tangy apple and peach scents and flavors. It delivers a spicy, clean finish. This Prosecco is not what I'd call profound, but still interesting and pleasurable.

NV Trevisiol Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Extra Dry ($15) - stone, chalk, and yeast dominate the bouquet when cold, but fragrant peach and flowers emerges in a few minutes. It is dense and creamy at first, but becomes more strict as it approaches the finish. White peaches, apricots and plenty of mineral mark the palate...some saline as it closes.

Vincenzo Toffoli Prosecco do Conegliano Frizzante ($14) -- it is light and fresh -- scents of flowers and peaches. Juicy apple and pear lead the flavors...they are nicely set against a core of earth and stone. It is ripe and juicy as it finishes. It seems less acidic than some of the others (more round and ripe), but it never seems heavy or cloying. It is a soft, but very appealing presentation.

NV Ruggeri Prosecco Gold Label ($15) -- plenty of fruit on the nose -- apple, peach and lemon...citrus zest and minerals, too. It is very fresh and "alive". The flavors are ripe -- Fuji apple and peach, but braced by good acidity and a fine stream of bubbles. An interesting assortment of anise, crunchy minerals, and lemons as it finishes. Excellent.

Moscato d'Asti (from the Piedmont region of Italy) is a fruity and typically fragrant wine made from the Moscato Blanco grape. It is just lightly sparkling and low in alcohol (5.5% abv or less)...these can serve as excellent starter wines, whimsical sippers or for dessert...almost always a crowd pleaser. I'd recommend purchasing the most recent vintage of Moscato d'Asti available (2003 at this writing)...it is almost always most appealing in its youth.

There are good, less expensive models, but these are two of my favorites...

2003 Marcarini Moscato d'Asti ($18) -- High tones of flowers, both white and gold peaches, and just a hint of mineral rise from the glass. A first sip seems quite syrupy...I can almost feel the fuzz from the sweet peaches on my tongue (it seems very concentrated and deep in fruit), but just when I think it might too sticky or soft, gentle acids and the light froth move the sweetness along, leaving subtle herb and mineral behind.

2003 La Spinetta "Bricco Quaglia" Moscato d'Asti ($15- 750ml/$10- 375ml) -- a fragrant broth of flowers, peaches, honey and oranges. It has a light syrupy sweetness that is nicely balanced by the soft bubbles and acidity. Sweet flavors of peach and apricot dominate the palate, but citrus zest shows up in the soft finish. This is not really a wine to contemplate, but certainly one to enjoy.

All these have been sampled more than once and are all recommended.

LM

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