Sparkling Wines to Celebrate New Year's Eve That Cost Less Than Champagne

One of our wine experts, Bill Stobbs, explains it best: “Champagne is the king of sparkling wines. But in order to be called Champagne it must meet a few prerequisites. First of all, it has to come from the Champagne region in northern France. Next, it has to be made from certain grapes – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. (There are four other lesser grapes that can be used but these represent only about 0.02% of total acreage.) Finally, Champagne has to be made using a special process for getting the bubbles in the wine. This is secondary fermentation in each and every bottle and is often referred to as ‘methode champenoise’ or ‘methode traditionelle.’”

If you don’t want to break tradition and you want to stock up on Champagne for New Year’s Eve, we suggest Haton Brut Classic or Haton Brut Reserve.

Crémants are sparkling wines made in France using the same method of production of Champagne, but are not from the Champagne region.

“Crémant de Bourgogne is an appellation of Burgundy, just south of Champagne, exhibiting similar climate and using the same grape varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay,” says ABC French Wines Expert, Atanas Nechkov. “They use the same Classic Champagne Method for the secondary fermentation. The grapes for all Crémant de Bourgogne are hand harvested. So, if you are looking for a Champagne taste without the “Champagne” budget, Crémant de Bourgogne is as close as you are going to get.

“Prosecco has seen ever-increasing popularity in recent years and is currently one of the bestselling sparkling wines in the U.S. today, as well as Florida ABC stores. Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine produced from a very specific region in north east Italy about an hour north of Venice,” says Italian wines expert, Paul Quaglini. “Its success can be attributed to a number of factors. First, Prosecco offers a tremendous value especially when compared to French Champagne. Second, it has a light, fruity flavor profile with a refreshing simplicity that is just easy to drink and understand. Finally, Prosecco is extremely versatile. It’s great as an aperitif, mixed into your favorite sparkling cocktail or even paired with lighter food. I see Prosecco’s upward trend continuing as more of our guests discover this everyday affordable luxury.”

We suggest Collalto Prosecco Superior Brut DOCG. The Collalto family has been making wine since the Middle Ages, so they’ve had time to perfect their Prosecco. The “DOCG” stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita or Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin – meaning it is the highest designation of quality among Italian wines.

If you are looking for a good quality bubbly that’s truly fit for a tight budget, then the Cava, the sparkling wine from Spain is your best bet. It is made using the Traditional Champagne method but uses different grapes varietals. Most Cavas are produced in the Penedès area of Catalonia, where it is known as a “must have” at Catalan and Spanish family traditions. If you plan on throwing a party and need to buy bubbly in bulk, Cava is choice. Unless your guests are amateur sommeliers, chances are they will not know you aren’t serving them Champagne. We suggest Dominio de la Peseta Cava. It hosts aromas and flavors of white flowers, star fruit and ripe citrus. Much like Champagne, it has small bubbles and persistent effervescence.

“For those people who are looking for a sparkling wine that are a tad sweeter than the usual Extra Dry or Brut, look for those that are listed as Demi-Sec,” says wine expert Bill Stobbs. “Demi-Sec sparklers are still somewhat dry but not bone-dry. They are great for celebrations and gatherings because people who like dry styles or sweet styles will still accept Demi-Sec. As far as other styles, there is Brachetto which is a somewhat sweet red sparkler from Italy, Sparkling Shiraz from Australia, and of course the ever-popular Italian Asti which is a sweeter style made from the Moscato grape.”