The best cheap champagne and sparkling wine for New Year’s Eve, according to an expert

Tis the season when the bottles pop, but finding quality sparkling wine to toast your various holidays will keep you out of debt as the new year begins. “You absolutely don’t have to spend a lot of money to get good quality bubbles,” says Jennipher Walters, wine educator at Kansas City’s Wine Schooled and Marco Polo Selections.

“There are so many different options from all over the world. You just have to be open to trying something new.” From budget champagne to champagne alternatives to completely different types of sparkling wine, Walters shows us what to look for in a budget sparkling wine.

Read more: Ask the Expert: How to Find Great Wine on a Budget

Valuable champagne brands

That being said, there are champagne brands that outperform at every price point, and many that are both excellent and under $50. Ask your local somm or retailer for a hidden gem they rely on. “You can just ask for their recommendations, see what they have, what they like, and tell them a little bit about what flavor profile you’re looking for, what your occasion is, and what your price point is,” says Walters. “My favorite house brand of champagne is Collet. It’s always well received and offers great value for money.”

More inexpensive champagnes: Piper Heidsieck Brood(a personal favorite) and Nicolas Feuillatte Reserve Exclusive Brut.

Get to know Crémant

Arguably the cheapest alternative to Champagne is sparkling wine, which is still made in France using the Champagne method, just not in Champagne. Enter Crémant, a two-syllable word that has many meanings and comes from all over France, where wine is made.

“I’m a big fan of crémants in general,” says Walters. “Any crémant is like my everyday companion when I want to drink some champagne but don’t want to spend the money on champagne,” she says. “I don’t feel like I need it, like it’s just a Tuesday night or something.” Even if it’s New Year’s Eve, a Crémant de Bourgogne (Crémant from Burgundy) not only has the same method as Champagne, but also the same Grapes and basically the same soil. So what’s the difference? The price tag.

Crémants to try: Arnaud Lambert Crémant de Loire, Albert Bichot Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Reserve, Gérard Bertrand Crémant de Limoux

Other notable sparkling wine regions

As outlined in “How to Find Great Wine on a Budget,” a basic understanding of the world’s wine map can give you clues to other notable regions that have historically made wines using the Champagne method. Spain’s Cava and Italy’s Fraciacorta are two of the best known, but “you can look for ‘traditional method’ or ‘classic method’ on a bottle from the U.S.,” says Walters. (New Mexico even makes a great one.) “There are really good ones from South Africa called Cap Classique, and I’m a big fan of some of the sparkling wines you can get from Tasmania.” Argentina and England are also on the rise if it about sparkling wines made using the traditional method.

Quality bottles from all over the world: Segura Viudas Brut Cava, Bellavista Franciacorta Brut, Graham Beck Cap Classique, Jansz Premium CuvéeDomaine Bousquet Brut, Coates & Seely Brut Reserve

Don’t miss out on Prosecco

Lest you think we hate Prosecco here if we don’t mention it sooner, think again. “Prosecco is made using a different method where the second fermentation does not take place in the bottle,” says Walters. “They basically make it in a giant tank,” which explains the lower price, but that doesn’t necessarily mean lower quality, even in the eyes of experts.

“Prosecco is really fresh and fruity, easy to drink and fun,” says Wlaters. “It’s just a lot easier to make and you get the crisper flavor,” she says, perfect for toasting any occasion. The most interesting Prosecco options can be found under the appellation Valdobbiadene (and don’t worry about the pronunciation), which indicates a sub-region within the Prosecco growing area.

Prosecco to try: Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco Superiore, Mionetto Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut

Other forms of sparkling wine should be considered

Not every bottle of sparkling wine worth celebrating looks like Champagne or Prosecco. Pet-Nat lower carbonated sparkling wines with bottle caps, red sparkling wines like Lambrusco, or light and sweet sparklers like Moscato d’Asti can all meet the moment. Not to mention champagne in a can. “I like Underwood; I can go there sometimes,” says Walters. “There are two glasses in the can, so it’s nice when you’re hanging out in a more casual atmosphere.”

Other bubble options: Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco, GD Vajra Moscato d’Asti, Heretat Montrubi L’Ancestral Pet Nat, Underwood The Bubbles

Why is champagne so expensive?

Champagne is often considered the gold standard of sparkling wine, both in terms of its historical significance and quality. However, it is also the gold standard in terms of price. “A lot of it has to do with property prices in Champagne,” says Walters. “But also its reputation, its popularity and the regulations that govern the way it is produced.” Champagne must be aged for at least 12 months, which means significant overhead costs for winemakers, which are reflected in bottle prices.

Synonyms for champagne

While the memes are true – you can’t call it champagne unless it comes from Champagne in France – you can put a number of different expressions on the bottle to indicate that it’s a sparkling wine in the same way as champagne was produced. Not all sparkling wines are the same and the Champagne method specifically indicates that the secondary fermentation to produce the sparkling wine takes place in individual bottles.

This is the trademark of Champagne (well, one (one of the hallmarks of Champagne), but the process is not just limited to Champagne. You can even search for the word “champagne” on the bottle: e.g. B. Champagne Method or Method Champenoise. Other terminologies used to describe the same process include traditional method, method traditional, classic method, method classique or simply secondary fermentation in the bottle. Also search for non-French languages ​​such as: Banfi Brut Method Classico for an Italian interpretation of the Champagne style.