Berger: Sparkling wines to liven your holiday party

Champagne and other sparkling wines generally are consumed in greater amounts each year during two months - June at weddings and graduations, and December at Christmas parties and to celebrate a new year.

Festive events call for a celebratory beverage, and wine with bubbles has always been seen as de rigueur for such joyous moments, probably because the cork removal’s Thwock! signals a happy time.

For most wine lovers, capital-C Champagne is the best choice because of its complexity and old-world classic “yeasty” nature.

This is the go-to celebratory beverage along the Eastern Seaboard because historically it was the only bubbly sold there.

It wasn’t until the 1970s when California began to make quality sparkling wines that rivaled the French stuff, and not until the 1980s when quality California sparking wines began hitting the East Coast.

Even as good as the California stuff was, most East Coast wine lovers had already developed a taste for Champagne, so even the best California bubbly remained an afterthought.

To this day, the more expensive French Champagne sells better on the East Coast than California’s quality bubbly.

As tradition-laden as all bubbly is for New Year’s celebrations, it may be inappropriate to consider top-rate Champagne at other occasions throughout the year.

When a sports team wins a major championship, it is rare to see Roederer Cristal (national average price: $225 a bottle) being shaken and sprayed.

For such celebrations, far more reasonably priced beverages are the norm.

And when a large crowd is being served, few people take the time to appreciate the subtleties embodied in top-level, reserve-quality wines.

A lot of unconscious consumption is going on as people mill around, eat finger foods, watch snippets of a football game on television, play with the dog or prepare a sumptuous meal.

It is for times like these that Spanish Cava, Italian Prosecco and other inexpensive bubblies are best used as Champagne substitutes.

Prices are usually reasonable, and the quality of these two products has risen dramatically in the past several years.

Among the more popular alternatives we have seen the past two years are wines from Burgundy, Alsace and the south of France (such as Cremant) that can be found for well under $20 a bottle. A few brands of Prosecco can even be found for about $10.

For those who are seeking something a bit different in a bubbly, Germany makes some sensational sparkling Rieslings under the name Sekt, most of which typically sell for less than $20 a bottle.

Chances are these will not be as widely available as other sparklings, but they can be fascinating and usually are very fairly priced.

Wine of the Week: NV Dr. Loosen Sparkling Riesling ($16): The aroma of melon and apples and a hint of pear make this floral wine a crowd-pleaser.

Just slightly sweet, it would work nicely with rich seafood dishes in which cream sauces play a role.

Sonoma County resident Dan Berger publishes “Vintage Experiences,” a weekly wine newsletter. Write to him at winenut@gmail.com.