Bubbly on a budget: Cause for celebration

One of the happiest moments of 2008 - for Philadelphians, at least - was one soaked in champagne: a long-awaited World Series victory doused in a shower of tiny bubbles.

Scratch that. It was a "sparkling wine" from Washington state that Chase and the Fightin' Phils were spraying like firehoses across their euphoric locker room. But if anyone actually managed to taste the bubbly, they would have found that Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut is not bad at all.

It's got a lively fizz and a well-tuned balance of toastiness, tangerine sweetness and limey citrus that has made it a perennial value pick. It's perfect for big-party sipping, or as a mixer for cocktails like Kir Royale and French 75. Even better, it's on sale for $9.99 in Pennsylvania, so you can buy enough to drink and spray on your guests!

While Domaine Ste. Michelle may very well be the single most affordable sparkling wine I'd still want to drink, there are a number of other good-value sparklers out there at slightly higher prices to consider. And judging from a recent report in the Economist about plunging demand for more expensive French champagne (Laurent-Perrier's third-quarter sales dropped 30 percent compared with last year), buying economy bubbly is already a popular trend this year.

Here are some of the best bets I've tasted in the last few weeks:

Also widely available in Pennsylvania