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15 Best Sparkling Wines to Pop Open at Your Next Party
Cheers any occasion with the best bubbly and champagne.
Is it even a celebration if you don’t pop a bottle of bubbly? Not in our books! But that doesn’t mean you have to blow a whole paycheck on champagne. To paraphrase Shakespeare, fizz by any other name would be just as festive. So in this roundup of the best sparkling wines, we’d encourage an open mind — which often leads to a little more bang for your buck. Consider Prosecco, cava, crémant and pet-nat (a.k.a. natural sparkling wine that all the cool kids — of age! — are drinking). Technically, these alt-sparklers can’t be called “champagne” because they’re not produced in the Champagne region of France. But some, like crémants, are made in the same method as the real stuff, offering champers taste on an (almost) beer budget.
We taste-tasted rounds and rounds of different bottles — hard job, right? — to come up with a list of the best sparkling wines and affordable champagne brands. We considered different scenarios: Is this bubbly best for toasting or just topping off mimosas or a blood orange spritz? Or perhaps for pairing with holiday party food and New Year’s Eve apps? Would we give it as a special gift? Or is it the kind of bottle you bring to a party and leave anonymously on the wine table? (By the way, that last one is just a hypothetical situation and most definitely not an admission of any sort.) In the end, we whittled it down to this list of the best sparkling wines for any occasion, including a selection for every price point.
Our top picks:
Whether it’s for Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve, a wedding, a bridal shower brunch, or just a random Wednesday, the moment you open a bottle and share it with someone else, that’s a celebration in and of itself. Cheers!
Pertois-Moriset Les Quatre Grand Cru Brut
Pertois-Moriset Les Quatre Grand Cru Brut
When you taste a champagne as elegant as this one, you start to justify the cost. Biscuity aromas, crisp acidity and exuberant bubbles all come together in this exceptional bottle.
Paul Laurent Brut NV
Notes of toasty brioche and lemon peel combine with fine, persistent bubbles in this well-priced champagne. Lively acidity makes it a great match for food.
Montefresco Prosecco NV
Montefresco Prosecco NV
Light with a hint of citrus peel, this crowd-pleasing sparkler has a clean and crisp finish. It’s delightful on its own and priced right for topping off mimosas and spritzes.
Raventós i Blanc Cava Rosé de Nit 2020
Just the slightest pink blush comes through on this dry, fresh cava rosé. Hints of salinity and mineral give it wonderful complexity.
Pertois-Moriset Rose Blanc Grand Cru
If you're looking to splurge, make it count with this beautiful salmon pink rosé Champagne. It's creamy and rich, complex and dry, toasty with notes of berry, brioche and marzipan.
Bohigas Brut Reserva Cava
Dry with scintillating bubbles, this great-value cava has notes of golden apple and almonds.
Cellier de la Baraterie Blanc de Tradition Brut Nature Jacquere 2015
Cellier de la Baraterie Blanc de Tradition Brut Nature Jacquere 2015
Hailing from Savoie, the region of France that borders Switzerland, this rich, medium-bodied sparkling wine has a bit more oomph. With racy acidity and notes of citrus, it's a natural match for cheeseboards and fondue.
Carboniste 2021 Pet Nat Pinot Grigio
Unlike most pet-nats, this one has sprightly bubbles and isn't funky at all. Instead it offers mouthwatering green melon on the nose that finishes super crisp and dry.
Biokult 2021 Naken
For something off the beaten bubbly path, try this bone-dry Austrian pet-nat. It's an orange wine (aka skin-contact wine), which is made with white grapes macerated with their skins for a tannic boost. Here it gives hoppy ale vibes and drinks like a funky cider.
Domaine Fichet Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Tradition
Domaine Fichet Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Tradition
Made similarly to the way champagne is, this crémant from the Burgundy region of France is a great value. Find aromas of spiced tropical fruit with a rich, dry finish.
Bolet Cava "Classic" Brut Nature NV
Bright apple and lemon notes meet vibrant acidity in this well-rounded cava, making it perfect to pair with holiday apps.
Agrapart & Fils Les 7 Crus Brut
Fresh with mineral verve, this is an outstanding champagne that's delicous right now but could be kept to age another decade. It's ideal for popping on special occasions or to save as a gift.
Le Rocher des Violettes Touche-Mitaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Sec 2021
Le Rocher des Violettes Touche-Mitaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Sec 2021
For a rounder, not-too-lean sparkler, try this pet-nat made from Chenin blanc. Golden appple notes give way to lovely bubbles without being super dry.
Le Colture Fagher Brut Spumante
If you think no bubbly can ever be dry enough, this Prosecco rises to the challenge — thanks to a hint of salinity on the back end.
Opera02 di Ca’ Montanari Lambrusco di Modena Secco N.V.
Opera02 di Ca’ Montanari Lambrusco di Modena Secco N.V.
Easy drinking and crushable, this off-dry sparkling red wine is like grape soda for grown-ups. Enjoy it with pizza, as they do in Italy, or serve it with a charcuterie board.
How we chose the best sparkling wines
The selection of sparkling wines available online and in stores can be overwhelming. So to pick the best ones, we tapped our most trusted wine sources — the people who taste a wide variety of bottles, like sommeliers, wine shop owners and wine writers — and asked what they’re loving right now.
From there, we had the very tough job of tasting and rating our favorites. We chose bottles at different price points so there’s something for every budget and occasion. And because there’s a world of sparkling wine beyond Champagne and Prosecco, we sought bottles from every corner of the globe. We’re absolutely certain you’ll find a bubbly to enjoy from among our picks, whether it’s for a splurge-worthy celebration or for a casual night in with pizza.
Susan (she/her) is the recipe editor at Good Housekeeping, where she pitches ideas, parses words, and produces food content. In the Test Kitchen, she cooks (and samples!) recipes, working with developers to deliver the best written versions possible. A graduate of Brown University and a collaborator on several cookbooks, her previous experience includes stints at Food & Wine, Food Network, three meal kit companies, a wine shop in Brooklyn and Chez Panisse, the pioneering restaurant in Berkeley, California. She enjoys playing tennis, natural wines and reality competition shows.
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