Sparkling wines can suit every budget

Nothing celebrates the holidays like sparkling wine.

The bubbles flirt with the senses, the tastes suggest elegance and the holiday spirit.

"Champagne" is the commonly used descriptive, but if you agree those wines only come from the Champagne region of France, then we normally refer to similar wines made in America as sparkling.

I asked the wine group to compare sparkling wine in two different price categories -- $15 to $30 and less than $15. The over-$15 category offers some choice about flavors and the nature of the bubbly. The under-$15 category offers wines you might want for larger parties or smaller pocketbooks.

Over $15:

- 1994 Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvee Brut at $24.99. This wine had an aroma of caramelized orange and Granny Smith apples. In the mouth it had a slight burnt taste. The acids were strong, and the finish was very short.

- NV Pacific Echo Brut at $18.99. We found peaches and fresh lemon in the aroma. In the mouth, the bubbly was drier than the nose promised, clean and well balanced. It had a long finish, with a slight aspirin taste.

- 1999 Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc at $29.99. This wine had a yeasty, fresh aroma with green apples. We tasted Granny Smith green apples in the mouth along with some minerals. This bubbly had good acids in a smooth texture. The finish was nice. The Schramsberg tied for first in our tasting.

- NV Piper Sonoma Blanc de Noir at $18.99. The color of this wine was greenish gold, paler than the others. It had a nutty aroma -- a suggestion of almonds. We found pleasant minerals in the aroma and the mouth. It was not as rich as the others.

- NV Mumm "Cuvee M" at $20.99. This wine had a pink color. We tasted juicy, ripe Delicious apples. For people who like bubbles, this was our champion. This wine tied for first among the more expensive sparklings.

Under $15:

- NV Segura Viudas Aria Estate Brut at $11.99. This wine had a very light aroma, with hints of herbs. In the mouth, it had a light texture like a bubbly pinot grigio. The finish was short.

- Hacienda Brut at $8.99. This wine's predominant flavor was lemon-driven. The off taste was not what we would expect for such a bubbly.

- 2000 Seaview Brut at $8.99. The aroma reminded us of caramelized sugar. The taste was dusty and not fresh. The finish was really sharp. My tasters thought this bubbly a perfect candidate for a mimosa.

- 2001 Col Sandago Prosecco "Extra Dry" at $11.99. This wine had a festive aroma and taste. The aroma offered apple cider and roses. In the mouth, it was simple, clean and refreshing. It finished first in our tasting.

- NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut at $11.99. This wine was spicy and full of peaches and apples in the aroma. It had a creamy taste, with lots of bubbles. This would be a good wine for serving at a party.

Surfing the wine shelves:

- 1999 Niebaum-Coppola Rubicon at $100. This blend has outperformed most other California reds of this vintage. The cabernet in the blend produced black fruit, particularly black cherry. The merlot and cabernet franc added enough red berries and spice to make the wine intriguing. This was a dense wine that should be powerful in years to come. Keep it at least four or five years.

- 2000 Edizione Pennino Zinfandel at $44. This wine had a dusty, briary aroma that was full of spice and ripe fruit. The ripe fruit gave impressions of sweetness on the palate along with enough tannins to give the wine structure for a half dozen years of the future.

- 2002 Walnut Crest Chardonnay at $6. For this price, this wine offers an excellent party wine with its crisp and fruity characteristics, including citrus flavors and vanilla from its oaking.

Questions can be sent to Frank Sutherland, editor, The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 or e-mailed to editor