The Black Chook ($17.99), a sparkling Shiraz, and 1+1=3 Cava Brut ($15.99) are popular at Gasbarro Fine Wines on Federal Hill.

The Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo

The holidays are filled with glasses of Dom Perignon and Cristal.

Or not.

Extravagance is just not the order of the day for many of us this holiday season. But that doesn’t mean we have to throw out the bubbles with the bath water. In fact, there’s never been a better time to enjoy a flute of it.

Winemakers across the globe are producing some mighty fine sparkling wines. They come from Italy, Portugal, Argentina, California, even New Mexico. They taste great, pair well with food, some look pretty in shades of red and here’s the best part, they cost less than $20 and some even less than $10.

There are traditional looking bubblies as well as red one’s like Australia’s sparkling Shiraz.

But let’s start in Europe.

Spain is known for its inexpensive sparkling wines or Cavas. They are made using the same methode champenoise employed by the French to make Champagne in the region that bears the name.

“Cava is light, refreshing and easily palatable,” said Liz Moniz-Steely, the sommelier at Campus Fine Wines in Providence. “And the price is right, some as low as $8.”

Tom Saccoccia at Saks Centredale Liquors in North Providence likes Codorniu ($10-$11 range) which is dry but not overly so. It has nice bubbles, he added.

At Gasbarro Fine Wines on Federal Hill in Providence, Mark Gasbarro favors the stylish 1+1=3 Cava Brut ($15.99). It comes from a winery called U Mes U Fan Tres. It’s available by the glass at Gracie’s, the Washington Street restaurant across from Trinity Rep, if you want to give it a try.

The most visible Cava is Freixenet in its signature black bottle.

Moniz-Steely stays on the Iberian peninsula for her next suggestion, looking to Portugal for Tesouro da Se which she describes as a nice food wine that costs just $13.99 and is also made classically with methode champenoise.

Prosecco from Italy’s Veneto region is another sparkling-wine alternative. The wines, made from the Prosecco grapes, are fermented in stainless steel tanks according to the Charmat method. But they may be a victim of their own success.

“Prosecco is getting up there in price,” said Moniz-Steely, “because it is so popular.”

The rules of supply and demand apply as Prosecco has seen huge growth in the market for the last several years. There are many bottles from which to choose, and while prices have risen many are still under $20. Gasbarro’s recommends Carpene Malvolti from one of the oldest wineries making the sparkler. Mionetto offers several choices in the price range and several special blends above it. [See accompanying story]

There are some nicely priced French sparkling wines from outside the Champagne region in France, for those who want French wine, Moniz-Steely said. A Cremant de Bourgogne, a sparkling wine from Burgundy, comes from Charles Duret for just under $20.

Sandra O’Connor from Chris Gasbarro’s Fine Wine and Spirits in Seekonk and Swansea, Mass., also likes a French option, Louis Bouillot Crémant de Bourgogne Grand Reserve Brut ($15.49) made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from all over Burgundy.

“Our wine consultants [myself included] have been buying by the case in these tight budget times,” she said.

Other priced-right items from O’Connor’s list: Mumm Napa Brut Prestige ($14.99) which she called an “always dependable domestic version of the great Champagne house” and Riondo Pink Prosecco Raboso ($12.99), a light-pink colored sparkler loaded with aromas of sweet cherries and strawberries. “A real crowd pleaser,” she called it.

Among the popular California bubblies is Francis Coppola’s Sofia at $20, Moniz-Steely said.

When fine, affordable sparkling wine is the subject, the unlikely setting of Albuquerque, N.M., is sure to come up. Both Saccoccia and Mark Gasbarro are fans of the Gruet wines including a Brut, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Rosé which all cost under $20. Part of the French winemaking family, led by Laurent Gruet, relocated to New Mexico in the ’80s to begin a most successful American winemaking adventure. Gasbarro’s has a hard time keeping those wines in stock. Perhaps that’s why the winery has introduced Domaine St. Vincent, an even lower price sparkler at $12, said Saccoccia. Gruet’s name is not on the label

Not to forget Italian reds in our discussion, Saccoccia suggested a sparkling rosé from Italy, Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto D’Acqui for $15.99 (on special).

“It’s a fully sparkling dessert wine with lots of flavor and fruit,” he said. “It’s a beautiful color, a dark pink, darker than a rose.”

For a drier Italian wine he likes the rounded character of Rotari Brut Arte Italiana for $16.

As for me, my current favorite sparkling wines come from Australia. I think sparkling Shiraz is the perfect food wine and as pretty as can be with intense color.

I’m not alone apparently. Mark Gasbarro was expecting a shipment of The Black Chook ($17.99) and before a case was unpacked, only two were left. Winemaker Ben Riggs has created a lovely blend of tannins, sweetness and bubbles for the Woop Woop winery that produces The Black Chook in McLaren Vale in South Australia.

Paringa also produces a sparkling Shiraz for about $10.

If your budget is under $10, don’t shy away from the bargain Barefoot Bubbly Chardonnay ($7.99-$8.99) which is from California.

Of course you can always take a chance on something new.

I saw Deseado de Familia Schroeder, a sparkling wine from Patagonia, Argentina, featured at my neighborhood wine shop for $15.99 and picked one up for tomorrow. Argentina is an emerging wine region with modest prices and this sweet sparkling wine should be lovely with dessert.

Remember to drink responsibly. Those bubbles can be long gone but the headache will remain.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Mionetto among the leaders in sparkling wine1

Sergio Mionetto makes Prosecco in Valdobbiadene, Italy.

The Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo

Seeking to distance itself from the Prosecco pack is Mionetto, the company which was among the first to market sparkling wine aggressively in the United States. Today, it continues to grow its market share with year-to-date sales up by 30 percent, according to Mionetto USA.

Mionetto’s IL Prosecco’s price may be one of the reasons. It’s still in the $10-to-$12 range with the IL Prosecco Brut about $15.

Sergio Mionetto traveled from the family winery in Valdobbiadene, Italy, for a goodwill tour around the U.S. last summer. His stated goal was to make the name Mionetto synonymous with Prosecco. He also preached how easy it is to drink and enjoy with food as is the Italian way.

He is the grandson of Mionetto’s founder. World War II service interrupted the handing off of the vineyard to the next generation as they went to serve in the military. The winery was left unattended and it was only after Mionetto attended oenology school in Italy in 1961 that he and his brothers began to rebuild the winery. Their dream was to produce Prosecco that would be enjoyed around the world. That is a dream realized with sales growing not just in the U.S. but in European markets including Germany, Mionetto said.

Now added to the line are more wine choices named after Mionetto himself. They are Prosecco blends called Sergio and Sergio Rose, $19.99 and Sergio Rosé, respectively. And why shouldn’t he? He’s a wine rock star with a clip on YouTube.