It's easy to find bubbly for every budget

It is the season for sparkling wines, and you can buy bubbles in a wide range of prices.

The best sparkling, from the Champagne region of France, starts about $35 to $40 and can cost well over $100.

That price is not practical for most of us, especially if we plan to serve several people.

Countries other than France produce a wide variety of sparkling wines, some of them for less than $10.

I asked my wine-tasting group to compare a wide range of sparkling wines, including Champagne. Our first was an under-$10 bottle from Australia. Here is what we found:

- 2000 Seaview Brut at $8.99. This aroma reminded us of yeast and bread dough along with citrus and candied fruit. In the mouth, we tasted candied raspberries, apricots and citrus fruit.

- Non-vintage Lindauer Brut at $12.99. This bubbly from New Zealand had lots of bubbles. The aroma offered lemon, grapefruit and some apricot. In the mouth, the wine was crisp with more acid than the Seaview, with a clean taste. This bubbly would be good with food.

- NV Louis Roederer Brut Premier at $39.99. This wine had an Old World aroma with lots of bread smells, hints of a wood fireplace and charcoal. We also found notes or marmalade, apples and minerals. In the mouth, it was full-bodied with good acids. Layer after layer of tastes rolled over our tongues.

- 1997 Domaine Carneros "Le Reve" Brut at $54.99. This bubbly by Taittinger showed traditional Old World Champagne aromas of yeast, minerals and oils. In the mouth, it had hints of earthiness with more steeliness than the others.

- 1996 Bollinger Grande Annee at $119.99. What an extraordinary bottle of wine. The 1996 vintage was one of the best for Champagne in recent years, and Bollinger took advantage of it.

The aroma reminded us of yeast (in perfect proportion, not too much bread), citrus fruit, green apples and a hint of apricot. In the mouth, this Champagne was lively and full of bubbles. The bright acids would make this a good food wine. We tasted nectarine on the finish. If you can afford it, you will not be disappointed.

Surfing the wine shelves:

- 2003 L'Ardi Dolcetto de Acqui Vigne Regali at $11.99 (price varies from region to region). We recently tasted the 2002 vintage from our local shelves, and for storage or other reasons, that wine was not at its best. I just received the 2003 vintage, which should be on the shelves soon. This wine was fruity and big, with aromas of cherries and dark and floral notes. On the palate, it was smooth and easy to drink, with firm tannins.

- 2003 Cecchi Litorale Vermentino at $17. This Italian white reminded us of ripe tropical fruits. It was well-balanced with its acidity, and the finish was crisp.

- 2002 Francis Coppola Diamond Series Blue Label Merlot at $17. The spicy aroma suggested blueberries, plums and ripe, jammy fruit. The palate was round and mouth-filling. The finish was short.

- 1999 Pian Delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino at $70. This Sangiovese had a bursting aroma of cherries, flowers, chocolate and oak. In the mouth, it had a lush texture with a full body and cherries.

- 1999 Argyle Brut at $21. This Oregon bubbly offered an aroma of honeysuckle, pears, minerals and a hint of oak. On the palate, it showed more citrus fruit in a refreshingly creamy texture.

- 2003 Charles Krug Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc at $16. Krug touts this wine as made in the "New Zealand style," and indeed it offered fresh crispness and nice grapefruit aromas. On the palate, we tasted more citrus and tropical fruit, followed by a crisp finish.

- 2002 Talus Lodi Merlot at $7.99. The smell of fresh fruits, especially blackberries met the nose. In the mouth, lively tastes of blackberries, blueberries and a hint of black cherries melded into a smooth, enjoyable texture. It had a silky but short finish.

- 2002 Black Opal Cabernet Sauvignon at $8. Aromas of black raspberry, mint and spice carried through in the flavor of this dry somewhat tannic wine. It would be good with a steak.

- 2003 Black Opal Chardonnay at $8. This wine smelled of peaches, pears, apples and a little smoke. In the mouth, melon and peach flavors stood out. Try it with cheese.

- 2002 Black Opal Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon at $8. The aromas of piney resin, licorice and anise yielded to earthy flavors of herbs in the mouth. Initially it had a sweet character, which turned harsher on the end.

- 2003 Red Bicyclette Syrah at $12. The color of this wine was a striking dark purple. It smelled of butter, blackberries and cassis. The jammy flavors of blackberry and a hint of cherry opened in the mouth. It had some tannins on the end, suggesting a pairing with lamb and duck.

Questions may be sent to Frank Sutherland, editor, The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville 37203, or e-mailed to editor@tennessean.com.