Drink a toast to good value

There's still time to pick up a great sparkling wine for your New Year's Eve celebration, and some of our top picks are available for as little as $10. In our tests, we found that "France" on the label doesn't always mean great bubbly in the glass. Our top two sparkling wines are produced in California. Several of the lower-rated products, including one of the most expensive, varied in quality from bottle to bottle.

We also took a look at prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine that is to champagne what a top-notch Italian family-style restaurant is to a fancy French one: a simpler, less austere, and more relaxed experience. Compared with champagne, prosecco has softer bubbles and is generally more fruity, less dry, and less complex. Like champagne, prosecco usually lacks a vintage year, because it may blend wines from several harvests. It pairs well with many foods, including finger foods and sushi.

And, remember, be sure to follow our safety tips when you open the bubbly: chill your champagne to at least 45°F, and hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle, pointing it away from yourself and others. After removing the wire hood, place a towel over the top of the bottle and grasp the cork. With the bottle in one hand, slowly twist the cork, applying gentle upward pressure. When you feel the cork about to pop out, reverse pressure to a slight downward tilt.

You can find more info here; Ratings are available to ConsumerReports.org subscribers.

Have a happy and safe new year!