When it comes to sparkling wine, your brain immediately goes to Champagne. And then your bank account is immediately like, “LOL, NO.” The good news is you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a festive bottle of bubbly. While Champagne may have all the name recognition, it’s not the only kind of sparkling wine in the game. Here are four others to be on the lookout for that will have the party poppin’ without jeopardizing your credit card payments.
Cava
This Spanish sparkling wine is pretty much Champagne’s cover band. No, it’s not the real thing, but it’s close, and if you drink enough, you won’t notice the difference anyway. Cava is made in the exact same way as Champagne ("Méthode Traditionnelle," if anyone asks), but clocks in at a fraction of the ticket price. I’m talking, “around ten bucks will get you a great bottle” sort of prices. Made with a blend of the Spanish white grapes Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada, Cava has energetic, scrubby bubbles, and is bright and dry with flavors of green apple, melon, and soft, ripe lemon. (Who doesn't want to drink something that tastes like "soft, ripe lemon"???)
Crémant
You know how you have that cousin that’s super chill and you don’t want to assume she's a stoner, but you’re pretty sure she is a stoner? Crémant is that cousin of Champagne’s. Crémant is French and made in the same way as Champagne, but at a lower atmospheric pressure (don't worry about it), making its bubbles mellower than other sparkling wines but still fizzy enough to get freaky. Another difference is that unlike Champagne, Crémant can be made in any region of France. Their varietals and flavor profiles vary from region to region, like Crémant de Alsace or Crémant de Bourgogne, but you can always count on them to be light and scrumptious (yeah, I said it) with notes of pears, apples, and baked lemon bars.
Prosecco
If you're looking for a sparkling wine that is literally always down to party, Prosecco is there for you. Made from the Glera grape in large, pressure fermentation tanks to preserve freshness, this Italian sparkling wine is youthful and ready for whatever. It’s playful with sudsy bubbles, fruit-forward with notes of honeydew and apples, and has a crowd-pleasing touch of sweetness. (Prosecco sometimes has a reputation for being really sweet because some bottles are; look for the word "secco," which means "dry" in Italian.) Drink it straight up, throw it in a punch, make a cocktail out of it—Prosecco is like, “Cool. Let’s do this.” And then you do, and it’s delicious.
Pétillant Naturel
Perhaps better known by the colloquial nickname “Pet-Nat,” or its conspicuous crown-cap that looks like it belongs on a beer, Pétillant Naturel is the Portlandia of sparkling wines. While it may be considered a fringe wine by many, it’s also wildly popular and extremely enjoyable. These natural sparkling wines can be made with any varietal, from any region, by capping the wine half-way through fermentation and the winemaker praying it creates enough CO2 on its own to make it bubbly. This makes these bottles a bit of a gamble, ranging from super bubbly to simply fizzy, but just like IFC comedies, Pét-Nats almost always pay off if you’re into unique characteristics. Tart yet juicy, off-beat but totally fun, these wines are perfect for adventurous wine drinkers and kombucha lovers alike.
What to Avoid
The only thing I would say to stay away from is anything with the words “California Champagne” on it. That is some misleading advertising shit that I do not support. They're trying to play you, assuming you don't know that "Champagne" can only come from Champagne, France—don't let them! That isn't to say that there isn't good sparkling wine coming out of California, or elsewhere in the United States, just that anyone who needs to mislabel their product in order to convince you to buy it is probably up to no good.
At the end of the day, the most important thing to remember about sparkling wine, more than price or style, is that it is meant to be enjoyed. So, drink what you like and share it with those you love, and you will have a great time no matter what you’re pouring.