Drinks

Champagne and other sparkling wines are synonymous with celebration.

Of course, that means many people sort through the catalogue of regions and vaguely understood words--”brut,” “sec,” “blanc de blancs,” “cuvee”--only during the holidays, turning the selection process into a kind of coin toss.

High end labels from France, such as Dom Perignon, carry with them a certain mystique, as well as a hefty price tag. It’s possible, however, to find sparklers from other regions, such as Spain, New Mexico and Italy that add life to a celebration without forcing you to put off the ca...