Affordable champagne alternatives perfect for the holidays

Bubbly makes everything feel more special! While your mind might automatically go to champagne as the top tier for marking celebrations, it’s really just sparkling wine. So, to help you toast the holidays, Natalie MacLean shares sparkling alternatives that offer great taste for a fraction of champagne’s price. Not only that, but Natalie runs some of Canada's most popular wine classes - check them out here.

Find Natalie's bubbly alternatives below, and be sure to watch the video above for more!

SPARKLING WINE

Although champagne only comes from the Champagne region of France, almost every other region of the country and many other countries around the world produce sparkling wines, often using the same winemaking methods and grapes as champagne. Most sparklers are a blend of the traditional champagne grapes -- pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay, and, like champagne, they are labeled according to their dryness, with extra brut being the driest, followed by brut, extra sec, sec, demi-sec and doux.

Due to warmer climates and style preferences, New World sparklers tend to be fruit-driven compared to the Old World. This range of styles makes sparkling wine a great aperitif, one that whets the appetite (just the sound of the cork popping can get most people salivating). It is also one of the most food-friendly of wines, able to pair with ingredients such as eggs, cream, vinegar, olives, spicy dishes, oysters and green vegetables that can overwhelm other wines. Its acidity and effervescence cleanses the palate after each sip. During holiday celebrations, serve sparkling wine throughout the meal, not just when toasting.

Where an entry-level bottle of champagne starts at $60, the two bottles below cost about $35 each!

Chateau des Charmes Blanc des Blancs Sparkling Wine

The Chateau des Charmes Sparkling Wine is a terrific sparkling wine with aromas of white peach and freshly baked bread. Winemaker Amélie Boury created a rich and satisfying bubbly made from Chardonnay grapes.

Peller Estates Signature Series Ice Cuvée Rosé Sparkling Wine

The Peller Ice Cuvée Rosé Sparkling is a lovely, off-dry sparkling rosé. This bubbly achieves its sweetness from a dosage of cabernet icewine. Aromas of field berries and raspberries.

PROSECCO

Italy produces sparkling wine called prosecco, a dry, crisp wine, with a vibrantly floral, citrus character. About a third of proseccos are called frizzante; they have a lighter mousse than the majority of proseccos, which are described as spumante, or fully sparkling.

Both options below cost only $18 - so, a great price point for amazing bottles to celebrate the holidays!

La Marca Prosecco

La Marca Prosecco is a crisp, dry Italian sparkling wine with notes of lemon zest and lime. Ideal for celebrations and gifts.

Cupcake Vineyards Prosecco

A terrific, zesty, vibrant DOC Prosecco, the Cupcake Vineyards Prosecco is exclusively produced in a limited area of northeastern Italy. It has aromas of golden apple, Asian pear and white peach.

CAVA

Spanish sparkling wine, or cava (meaning cellar or cave), offers some of the best values. Cavas are made using the traditional champagne method, but with three white Spanish grapes -- macabeo, parellada, xarel-lo and, increasingly, with chardonnay. By law, cavas are aged in the bottle a minimum of nine months; the grand reserves, thirty-six months. Cava spends less time on the lees (the wine's dead yeast cells) than does champagne, and it therefore tastes less yeasty and more earthy, with a deeper golden colour. Like Italian sparklers, a warmer climate means that cavas are less acidic than champagne; however, they can still be refreshing.

Villa Conchi Brut Selección Cava

La Conchi Cava is a non-vintage, brut-nature sparkling Cava that's barrel-fermented and matured for 2 years. Enjoy now and for the next two years. Best part, this bottle is only $15.95!

Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava

The Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava is all about terrific value in this well-made, toasty and refreshing bubbly from Spain that's a third of the price of Champagne, under $17. Segura is one of the most respected producers of Cava. Terrific earthy aromas mingle with toasted almond and some green apple. It’s elegant, layered, and refreshing.

BEFORE YOU GO: Bella Hadid’s mac and cheese recipe has left fans horrified

[video_embed id='2093347']BEFORE YOU GO: Bella Hadid’s mac and cheese recipe has left fans horrified[/video_embed]