It’s almost mid-November and Thanksgiving is just a little over 2 weeks away. Most of you already know whether you are hosting the holidays or not. Either way, you will need some bubbles─sparkling wines─to add a festive mood to the upcoming gatherings. To make it easy for you, I have compiled a list of budget-friendly, mid-range and high-end sparkling wines to spread a little joy in everyone’s holiday season. You need to bring a gift? Think no more, because my list will cover a wide range of bubbles to satisfy your taste buds and budgets. In this article, I am featuring Champagne, sparkling wines from different regions, Cava, Prosecco, and Franciacorta. They all have one thing in common: bubbles! However, not all are created equal.

“All Champagne are sparkling wines, but not all sparkling wines are Champagne.” I came up with this quote for the novice wine drinkers to better understand the difference.

The most exquisite of all bubbles is Champagne that can only come from the Champagne region of France. It’s labor-intensive because it requires a second fermentation in the bottle and this method produces extremely fine bubbles, making it the most expensive. There is an array of Champagne to choose from: boutique-style, well-known Champagne Houses, and internationally acclaimed luxurious brands.

Sparkling wines that say: “Méthode Traditionelle” on their label use the same method that originated in the Champagne region of France. However, the wine producers from other countries are not allowed to use the name Champagne on their labels. Sparkling wines vary from mid-range to expensive depending on many factors, including the region, terroir and the method in which they use to produce their wines.  

Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine also made by the same method as Champagne but is much more affordable, and not as complex. Prosecco is an Italian bubbly that is budget-friendly and generally made by the Charmat method. The secondary fermentation takes place in large stainless steel tanks which makes the wine more affordable. Franciacorta is regarded as a high-quality Italian sparkling wine that is made by “Méthode Traditionelle” which mirrors Champagne.

“In the end, it doesn’t matter how much you pay for your bottle of bubbles, what matters is the quality time you spend with the ones you love.”

Price range: $9.99 – $10.99 for 750 ml. 
This Cava shows stone fruits, pear and citrus. It’s great as an aperitif or you can pair it with cheeses and seafood dishes. 

Price range: $19.99 – $22.99 for 750 ml. 
This Prosecco has notes of pears with refreshing flavors of citrus. With only  49 calories (per 6 oz glass), it can be enjoyed with no guilt. 

Price range $34.99-$44.99 for 750 ml. 
Schramsberg Brut Rosé is a special-occasion sparkler with aromas of under ripe strawberries, orange peels, and cinnamon. The palate follows the nose with a touch of toasted almonds, and shows bright clean acidity with a dry and long finish. This Napa Valley wine is made by “Méthode Traditionelle” and can be enjoyed as an aperitif or paired with seafood. It is exceptionally delightful. 

Price range: $20.99-$23.99 for 750 ml. Scharffenberger Méthode Traditionelle sparkling wine is from Mendocino county, California. This wine is dry with beautiful citrus notes.

Price range: $19.99 – $22.99 for 750 ml. Chandon Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine is a great value bubbly made by “Méthode Traditionelle”. It delivers delicate aromas and flavors of cherries with a creamy texture. I visited their winery in Napa Valley and had a fabulous experience. 

Price: $39.99 – $44.99 for 750 ml. Champagne Mailly Grand Cru Brut Réserve 

Wine Spectator review:  “A bold, powerful Champagne, reminiscent of wheat toast, pencil shavings and cherry, supported by a firm structure. Concentrated and long, it lingers with an aftertaste of biscuits with cherry jam.”

Price range: $37.99 – $44.99 for 750 ml. 
Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Brut is vibrant and boasts aromas and flavors of zesty grapefruit and ginger-flavored cola. The finish is lingering. 

Price range: $246.00 and up for 750 ml.  – The price on Dom Pérignon varies depending on the vintage. This classic Champagne is complex with layers of flavors and can age beautifully well, for decades after its release.

“Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!” Dom Pérignon

Price range: $149.00 – $175.00 for 750 ml. Champagne Dom Pérignon Vintage 2008 
delivers an abundance of refreshing lemons, grapefruit, lightly toasted almonds and a hint of minerality. This vintage is still young but is drinking nicely. It needs more time to enjoy its full potential. 

Average price: $100.00 Champagne for 750 ml. Billecart-Salmon Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Non Vintage is exquisite with an explosion of delicate and luxurious flavors on the palate. There is a hint of minerality that glides to a long finish. 

Price: $49.99 for 750 ml. This comes in a gift set with 2 embossed Champagne glasses. On the nose, this Champagne showcases aromas of ripe peach, apricot and tropical fruits, with hints of vanilla and caramel, a touch of brioche, and a drizzle of honey. Caramel flavors linger into an everlasting finish. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I recently asked my Instagram audience to take part in this article in order to provide you with an array of ideas.

Rupal from SyrahQueen has an adoration for bubbles, and is very knowledgeable in the world of wines. She asked me to add a Franciacorta on my list. Franciacorta is a prestigious Italian sparkling wine, and is considered to be of high-quality. It is another great example of a wine made by “Méthode Traditionelle” which mirrors Champagne. 

Ca’ del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvée Prestige 
The average price is $40-$45.00 for 750 ml. The bottle is transparent and packaged in clear yellow wrapping to showcase its beautiful gold color. It’s made of fine quality with notes of pears, orange peel, great acidity, and a crisp and persistent perlage. I am so grateful that my dear Italian Wine Expert friend Angela Santarelli introduced me to this beauty many years ago. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had the pleasure of meeting Rupal in the spring, and she gifted me a beautiful bottle of Louis Roederer Champagne. We savored it during our epic lunch in the trendy area of Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale. I will always remember her heartfelt quote: “Friendship and Champagne. Toasting the start of a beautiful new friendship”.

Louis Roederer et Philippe Starck Champagne Brut Nature 2009
Price range: $90.00 – $99.00 for 750 ml. This Champagne is electrifying and it gives you a good jolt from the very first sip. On the nose, it delivers aromas of toasted almonds and stone fruits. This bubbly coats the palate with a creamy mousse carrying flavors of crunchy pears, hints of citrus, and framed minerality. The bubbles are tiny with lush notes of biscuit and toast. The finish is everlasting. It truly is heaven in a bottle! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My lovely friend and wine connoisseur Mary from PerthWineGirl in Australia recommends two producers that distribute in the USA. VasseFelixMargaretRiver Margaret River’s founding estate. Wine: 2017 Blanc de Blancs. (2016 vintage shows in the photo) The other one HowardParkWines is a pioneering Western Australian winery, the Great Southern and Margaret River. Wine: 2013 Howard Park Grand Vintage Jeté. Both are sparkling wines produced by Méthode Traditionelle. 

Jeté Australian Sparkling Wine – Photo credit Mary aka PerthWineGirl

Price: $29.00 average. 

Exclusive wine reviews from PerthWineGirl” This wine combines Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, giving a vibrant burst of citrus with white peach for a silky taste that bursts after some time on the palate to release an immersion of brioche and cracked grain for a texture unlike any other.”

Vasse Felix Australian Sparkling Wine – Photo credit Mary aka PerthWineGirl

Price: $40.00 average.
Exclusive wine reviews from PerthWineGirl: “Made with fruit from selected Chardonnay clones from the coolest sites, this wine is complex and rich. It resembles grower Champagne. Reminiscent of citrus peel, beeswax, and buttered almonds, this wine is elegant and sophisticated. Made in a Brut style, it’s versatile at the table.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My friend Tiffany @prettysweetmess recommends Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Brut Réserve. She has a great palate for simple to the most sophisticated taste in wine(s).

Price range: $34.99 – $37.99 for 750 ml. 

Notes from Wine Spectator – November 2017 “An aperitif-style Champagne, with flavors of crème de cassis, lemon curd and pastry riding a creamy mousse and framed by crisp, well-knit acidity. Drink now through 2020.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I want to thank the following Insta-friends for their contributions:

Laura from @winebythebottle recommends any dry, red Lambrusco.

Robert from @wine_food_explorer recommends a Blanc de Blancs from Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards in Virginia. His notes: beautiful acidity with aromas of pear and vanilla, layered perfectly. Flavors of apple and well-balanced. Priced at $40.00

Funda from @wine_a_little_dine_a_little recommends “Roederer Estate Brut” from Anderson Valley, California. Average price $25.00. 

Patrick from pakieff64 recommends FontanaFredda Alta Langa DOCG Limited Edition, Brut Metodo classic, a typical Brut for less than $20.00. 

Now, that you have this extensive list of sparkling wines to help you celebrate the holidays, it’s time to go shopping! I am wishing you’ all a season filled with lots of bubbles to your heart’s content, love in your home, and good health to you and your family.

This article is intended for people over the legal drinking age of your country (21+ in the US).

Photos: All mine except the last 3 as stated.
Reviews: Most are mine unless otherwise stated. 

Disclaimer: Trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners, and no claim is made to them and no endorsement by them of this article is implied or claimed. 

Happy Sipping!!  

Gina Martino Zarcadoolas, aka Foodiewinelover
Culinary Personality, Food & Wine Blogger
Author of the cookbook: Cuisines, Corkscrews & Cultures
Winner of 2019 “Salice Salentino Bloggers Award” 
Level-2 Certified world-renowned – “WSET: Wine, Spirit, Education, Trust”
Level-2 Certified Sommelier