Sparkling wine isn't just for New Year's Eve anymore

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Ringing in the New Year with a champagne toast is a long-held tradition. But Keller Ford of Primo Vino in Cape Girardeau says champagne and other sparkling wines are great for all holiday occasions -- or any other time, really.

"It doesn't have to be a special occasion to enjoy sparkling wines," Ford says. "There are different styles and price points to please anybody."

Of course, at the top of those price points is French champagne -- "the creme de le creme of the sparkling wine world," according to Ford.

But good quality sparkling wines like prosecco and cava are much more affordable, and are spurring the trend of drinking sparkling wine with more regularity, Ford says.

Here's a look at some of the most popular styles of sparkling wine to add to your holiday shopping list. After all, as Ford says some of his friends are fond of saying, any great night starts with a bottle of bubbly.

Champagne

Champagne, the king of all sparkling wines, comes from the Champagne region of France. Ford says it's also the priciest, costing anywhere from $30 a bottle to hundreds of thousands of dollars. "It's not something to open on an average night," he says.

He describes the flavor as having a lot of minerality and yeastiness. Depending on the champagne house's style, champagne can range from lighter to heavier. It is made from chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes.

Flavor: A lot of minerality, yeastiness, definitely depending on house style lighter or heavier. The three grapes are chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier. IN different proportions.

Prosecco

Most proseccos, which come from Italy, are dry and not as carbonated as champagne, Ford says. "Prosecco is not nearly as yeasty. It's more fruit driven, lighter," he says. "It's nice and elegant and a great food wine."

Prosecco grapes are generally grown in Friuli Venezia region of Italy and the wine is produced in Venetto area.

Ford says prosecco is usually anywhere from $14 to $25 for a good bottle.

Cava

Ford says cava, made in Spain, represents best value for sparkling wine in the world. "It's not as complex as champagne and prosecco," he says. "It's a nice, easygoing sparkling wine for everyday consumption."

The four grapes used to make cava -- macabeo, xarel-lo, parellada and, increasingly, chardonnay -- are grown in the Penedes area of Spain.

Ford says good bottles are available for between $7 to $15, and can range from bone dry to relatively sweet and everything in between.

Muscato d'Asti

Another Italian sparkling wine, Ford says in last year and half, muscato d'asti has been the hottest category in wine world.

He says the sweet sparkling wine, is less carbonated than prosecco, but still has some bubbles.

"They're usually relatively sweet, female friendly," Ford says. "There's a red version called brachetto that's speaking up steam. It reminds me of Strawberry Crush."

All muscato d'asti wines are made from the muscato grape, grown in Piedmont region of Italy, where it is traditional to drink glass at Christmas.

American sparkling wines

Ford says sparkling wines from the Napa and Sonoma wine regions from California shouldn't be discounted. He said there are very popular wines coming from the West Coast, adding that usually French champagne houses own California wineries.

As for wines closer to home, he says there are some sparkling wines being made in Missouri but they are few and far between.