Grapevine: Even on budget, these wines truly sparkle

If there is one wine you want on the tip of your tongue this holiday season, that wine is bubbly. Apart from its well-deserved reputation for sparking any festive occasion, bubbly in all its guises is the world’s most versatile food wine.

The bubbles enliven the palate, the high acidity cuts through rich, smoky or salty foods, and the moderate levels of alcohol (usually around 11 or 12 percent) mean that you won’t hurt yourself – IF you avoid the cheap, sugary plonk. It’s sugar that can cause the worst hangovers.

Good sparkling wines are made all over the world, and you will not have any trouble finding budget bottles for under $10. If you are going to use your bubbly as a mixer, there’s no need to splurge. But if you are drinking it straight, you’ll want to spend at least $10 a bottle, and stick with the drier styles, labeled Brut.

A toast is always a good idea after pouring the first round. Try this one on for size: “Here’s champagne to my real friends and real pain to my sham friends!” Whatever the sentiment, tradition (and superstition) require that you always look each of your guests in the eye when you toast, and be sure to take a sip of wine following. Never clink an empty glass – it’s very bad mojo.

Here are some suggestions for specific sparkling wines tied to different styles from around the world. Please note, however, that your local wine seller may not have exactly these names in stock. Ask for something comparable, and if they do their job well, you won’t be disappointed.

If you really like your sparkling wine bone dry, with austere, mineral flavors and high acids, the cavas of Spain are a good choice. Try Mont-Marçal Cava Brut Reserva 2003 (about $12). This estate-bottled, super-dry Spanish sparkler is aged up to two years on the yeast. It’s perfect for salty appetizers (how about popcorn dusted with truffle salt?!).

Along similar bone dry lines are the sparkling trocken (meaning dry) wines of Germany. The Henkell Trocken (about $10) is a fine companion to smoked, salted or cured meats and hard cheeses.

Among the lightest and most delicate sparklers are the proseccos of northeast Italy. Prosecco spumante is made to a fizz level equivalent to champagne; prosecco frizzante is a sparkling wine made with less pressure (and therefore lighter, fewer bubbles). Either style is delicious, lightly peachy, and usually dry. Some favorite producers are Folonari ($9), Mionetto ($10), Zardetto ($12), Trevisiol ($13), Canella ($13) and Bisol ‘Crede’ ($18).

Moving closer to true champagne are the sparkling wines of Alsace. These are often based upon the pinot blanc or pinot gris grapes, and are made in the traditional style, with the secondary fermentation taking place in the bottle. In all the world of bubbly, there are no better values than the Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut Blanc de Blancs and Brut Rosé (both about $14). Dry pink champagnes can command 10 times the price of this elegant rosé from Albrecht. Is it exactly the same? No, but it comes very close.

Crémants are also made in the Loire valley and in Burgundy (Bourgogne), and both regions offer a wealth of excellent choices. I especially enjoy the 2004 Bailly-Lapierre Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé (about $18), a coppery pink, tart and tangy wine, tasting of sour cherries and pomegranate.

Louis Bouillot is another name to look for in sparkling Burgundy. Its nonvintage Blanc de Blancs (about $14) offers the best value in an interesting lineup.

Monmousseau’s Crémant de Loire Brut (about $14) is a racy sparkler from the heart of the Loire valley, also made according to the champagne method. It accents the chalky minerality of the region.

All roads lead to Champagne, however, if you want the best of the best. New and exciting this year are many so-called grower champagnes. These are small-production bottlings from the vignerons who grow the grapes, and offer a range of flavors quite apart from the big, well-known champagne houses. For about the same dollars as your everyday nonvintage brut, you can find vintage champagnes made exclusively from Grand Cru vineyards in villages such as Avize, Aÿ, Bouzy, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger and Verzenay.

These small producers are not blending wines from as many sources and vintages as the big houses, because they are not trying to create a uniform product. Instead, they offer unique bottlings with more focused flavors, more variation, and in general, younger fruit.

Ask your wine seller to point you to a grower champagne – in fact, insist upon it. Ask if it is Grand Cru. Some names to look for: Coutier Brut Tradition ($35); Gatinois Brut Tradition ($40); Pierre Peters Brut Reserve Blanc de Blancs ($42); De Sousa Brut Reserve Blanc de Blancs ($52); Godme Brut Blanc de Noirs “Tradition” ($52); Jean Milan “Cuvée Tendresse” ($54) and Dhondt “Mes Vieilles Vignes” ($64).