New Year 2026 is right around the corner. Pop a cork on one of these 17 sparkling wines to welcome 2026.
While I am a firm believer that any time is a good time for sparkling wine, nothing quite expresses the expectant exuberance of the calendar tipping into a new year like a bottle of bubbly. There are more choices than ever out there but I’ve narrowed it down to a lucky few sparkling wines – this year, grouped into Californian, Old and New French Sparkling Wine, Charmant & Italian Method, and a few Non-Traditional selections. Skip stuffy and lean into fun sparkling wine. Anytime is the right time.
Classics or Soon to Be Classics
Californian
Inman Family 2019 Blanc de Noir
Let me just start by saying I adore almost everything that comes out of the Russian River Valley appellation and this wine is no exception. Crafted from 100% pinot noir grown in the heart of the Russian River Valley, the 2019 is made in the traditional method and aged on the lees for 5 years before disgorgement. The bubbles are fine and soft with red berries and citrus aromas that give way to a long, smooth, toasty finish. I expect any vintage sparklers to be both vibrant and sophisticated and this one hits the mark. Well done!
Who would like this wine: I’d buy this wine for the serious sparkling wine consumers/collectors in your life. The nuances may be lost on less interested parties.
$78 / 750 ml
Frank Family 2020 Blanc de Blancs
Made in the traditional methodé Champenoise style from 100% chardonnay grapes, the year’s bottling underwent partial malolactic fermentation to soften the high natural acidity. The aroma of just-baked bread jumps out of the glass, so if that’s your jam, this bottle is right up your alley.
Who would like this wine: I’d bring this along to a party where the host is open to fun finds or to a friend who loves classic California chardonnay-based sparkling wine.
$60 / 750 ml
Reeve Stroh Vineyard Blanc de Noirs
Crafted from 100% pinot noir sourced from Mendocino’s Potter Valley, this sparkling wine has soft red berry fruit and nary a whiff of yeast. It’s young and fresh and bright, perfect for pairing with barbecue. Because of its soft flavor profile, I tried it with salad and found it a fair match but its subtle sweetness is a better fit for bold-flavored sauces like teriyaki.
Who would like this wine: Tired of bringing Zinfandel to outdoor eating invitations? This bottle makes a nice change of pace.
$40 / 750 ml
Lichen Estate 2019 Grand Cuvée Rosé
On their farm in Mendocino’s Anderson Valley town of Boonville, Doug and Ana Stewart make dazzling sparkling wines. (I am also a big fan of their white pinot noir.) I chose this wine as it spends 54 months en tirage, adding gorgeous complexity. You’ll notice the citrus peel right up front which gives way to honeyed red berries. It finishes clean and long with just a touch of yeasty notes that come across as sourdough. Plus, their bottles are so pretty, I like having one on the table.
Who would like this wine: Try this one with dessert or on the first day when spring warmth peeks through winter’s clouds.
$95 for 750 ml
Une Femme The Betty
From the team that brought you The Riddler Champagne bars in New York and San Francisco comes a line of sparkling wines that dares you to take it seriously. Maybe that’s because it’s widely available – on Delta flights and at Target – as well as in cans. Made of 80% pinot noir and 20% chardonnay, the wine sports tiny, creamy bubbles and an orange blossom nose. I was delighted that it softened on the palate to something closer to white peach with just enough acid to balance it all out.
Who would like this wine: Fans of minimally-oaked California bubbly, this one is for you.
$28.99 / 750 ml or $6.99 / 250 ml can
Pali Wines 2021 Sparkling Rosé
Rosé made from 100% pinot noir grapes is my favorite style. Why? There’s a tempered acidity that finishes with a tang, rather than yeasty sweetness. I prefer this profile with shellfish (hello, oysters!) and basically any heavy meal that needs some snap. There’s definitely strawberry on the nose and a pronounced minerality on the finish. I would also pay money to learn how the wine is blush pink but the bubbles appear gold. Stunning.
Who would like this wine: Try it with any shellfish or caviar as well as after dinner with cheesy or creamy desserts. You’ll appreciate the bright flavors even more with strawberry cheesecake.
$70 / 750 ml
Old and New French Sparkling Wine
Louis Roederer Collection 245
If French Champagne is a must for your holiday table, look no further than a non-vintage bottle from a classic producer. The expressive nose from 41% chardonnay, 35% pinot noir and 24% pinot meunier, a typical Roederer balances green apple and lemon with laminated dough and a hint of chalk. I am a big fan of the bubble size, too, medium with enough heft to carry to the back of the palate but not too soft to disappear.
Pair it with anything you like – this bad boy from a Champagne house can handle Indian spice, raw fish and Parma ham with equal success.
Who would like this wine: Your dear friend who insists on drinking only Champagne at the holiday table.
$70 / 750 ml
Faire la Fête Brut
From Tiburon-based, champagne-focused First Growth Brands Inc. comes a French sparkler that is priced more like Prosecco than Champagne. Made in Limoux in southwestern France via “méthode traditionnelle,” the wine is 60% chardonnay, 25% chenin blanc, 10% pinot noir and aged on the lees for 15 months before release. (That short hold is likely the reason for its very reasonable price tag.) I found it a bit chalky at first sip, which gave way to medium body, bright apple notes and no discernable oak.
Who would like this wine: Anyone who likes sparkling wine with Asian cuisine. I can also see it going well with popcorn or any more casual setting.
$24.99 / 750 ml
Charmant & Italian Method (also Classics)
Adami Prosecco Vigneto Giardino
Vigneto Giardino was first released in 1933 as the first single-vineyard Prosecco ever produced for the commercial market. Today, it is still made with glera grapes (and 5% chardonnay) from Adami’s Vigneto Giardino Vineyard in Italy’s Veneto region. A Valdobbiadene DOCG, this wine is an instant classic, its straw color and “Italian Method” (a.k.a. Charmat Method, a.k.a. Martinotti Method) yields white peach aromas and flavors with a creamy complexity that I was not expecting AT ALL.
Who would like this wine: I’d gift this wine to a friend who likes exploring the ever-expanding world of Italian Prosecco available in the United States.
$25.99 / 750 ml
Fontanafredda Alta Langa DOCG La Cuvée
Grown in Italy’s Piemonte in the sub-region of Alba, a region better-known for Barolo, this little pinot nero and chardonnay sparkler arrives from esteemed producer Fontanafredda, the largest certified organic wine estate in Piedmont. It is yet another Italian sparking wine that is NOT Prosecco.
When I tasted it at San Francisco’s Palio, I discovered very fine and persistent bubbles. The aromas are particularly reminiscent of floral honey and a hint of almond. It’s made using the quite flexible “Spumante Metodo Classico.”
Who would like this wine: Fans of Italian wine and friends curious to expand their knowledge of wonderful wines which won’t break the bank.
$22 / 750 ml
Sensi 18K Blanc de Blancs (Nectar) Prosecco
Made in the Alto Adige region of Italy, from 100% chardonnay grapes, Sensi is Italian sparking wine made using the same Charmat method as Prosecco. (It’s a regional thing…) Where California sparklers may exhibit apple and citrus, Sensi hints of wildflowers and pears and, wait….is that banana? I found this fun and easy drinking, perfect for a sunny afternoon on the back deck.
Who would like this wine: Do you like mimosa or Bellini? A splash of fruit juice takes Nectar to new heights.
$24.99 / 750 ml
Cleto Chiarli Rosé de Noir Brut
From a family winery in Modena, Italy (the region famous for lambrusco) comes this nearly pink-to-violet-hued stunner. Blame the grapes – made with 85% grasparossa (or lambrusco grasparossa) and 15% pinot nero, the dark colors of a typical lambrusco are hinted at in this wine’s gorgeous hue. You’ll notice the red berries and fresh acidity. I paired it with a salmon dinner and then tried it again with cannoli tipped with roasted pistachios for dessert. My guests were swooning.
Who would like this wine: Got a New Year’s Day party to attend or a brunch? This bottle screams “daytime drinking” to me – the better to see the stunning hues, my dear.
$19.99 / 750 ml
Non-Traditional (Made from Not-the-usual Grapes, Spritzers, etc.)
Dry Creek Vineyard 2023 Sparkling Chenin Blanc
90% chenin blanc and 10% cabernet franc is a blend I’ve tried exactly once in sparkling wine. But why not? A passion project of 2nd generation owner and president Kim Stare Wallace and the winemaking team, this chenin is aged in 100% stainless steel, giving the wine an undeniable brightness that pops right to the top, enhancing the grape’s trademark bright acidity. The aromas are more subtle – honeydew and peach – and across the palate, more fruity acid flavors of kiwi and lemon. Because there is only a touch of creaminess on the finish, this wine makes a strong partner for any creamy or cheesy appetizers or desserts. I also loved it with oysters.
Who would like this wine: Know someone with a passion for niche finds? This is that.
$50 / 750 ml
Tirriddis M.V. Brut Rosé
Using non-traditional grapes – in this case, 24% pinot gris, 21% syrah, 28% cabernet sauvignon, 12% syrah as rosé, and 9% merlot as rosé – is a signature of a new-ish winery in the Columbia Valley. Founded in 2021, the company takes its name from the first few letters of Tirage, Riddle, and Disgorge. Creating non-traditional wines using traditional methods is a signature of this emerging sparkling wine winery.
I found the rosé’s bubbles to be quite large while the pale salmon color of the wine hints of red berries. Aged in stainless steel, there is just the barest whiff of toast but plenty of herbaceous notes, presumably from the syrah. I found it refreshening with a hint of red berry sweetness and a clean finish. That said, it comes across as a casual wine, suited to meeting friends for a picnic or to enjoy with popcorn while watching the new season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
Who would like this wine: Your friend who opens whatever you bring, no matter what.
$33 / 750 ml
Treveri Blanc de Blancs Brut Zero
Do you even care that this dry, fruit-forward wine is made with zero dosage? How about that it is 100% chardonnay from the Columbia Valley AVA? Without that final, sweetness-adding step, I was anticipating an acid-forward wine but that is not the case here. Fresh, yes. But chardonnay’s smooth character charmed the socks off the acid, toning it done just enough. I found it to be light on aroma and body with crisp bubbles.
Who would like this wine: Your friend who claims to despise Prosecco but really wants a $50 sparkling wine instead.
$16 / 750 ml
Idlewild Flora + Fauna Rosé
Featuring a co-fermented blend of traditional Piedmontese varietals for which the house is known – 41% nebbiolo, 30% dolcetto, and 29% barbera (with a touch of grignolino, I’m told) – the wine is made of Mendocino-sourced grapes. At first sip, I found it rich and fruity with cranberry and rose petal notes. On the palate, it smoothed out to both a medium-body and a medium bubble and finished bright. Because of its fruit-forward character, I paired it with chicken roasted with herbs Provence – delicious. With its balanced acid and fruit, I bet it works nicely with spicy foods, too. This wine’s character is so appealing, I didn’t know it was a natural wine until I read up on it. Drink promptly.
Who would like this wine: Anyone interested in exploring the breadth of natural wine or Italian varietals rockin’ out in California soil.
$30 / 750 ml
Martha Stouman Try It Out! Wine Spritzer
It qualifies as the cutest and least likely sparkler on my list this year and also the lowest ABV (6%). Made with bio-dynamically farmed vermentino, muscat, marsanne, and roussanne grapes sourced from Mendocino to which filtered water, Meyer lemons, and orange blossom are added, this drinks more like sparkly white sangria or Chandon’s Garden Spritz, which frankly, I adore as it is the perfect party bottle. Approachable, easy-drinking, and no problem to add fruit or use as a mixer.
The bottles are 355 ml (about the size of a bottle of beer) and come in a 12-pack.
Who would like this wine: Perfectly sized for drinking alone or sharing with friends, bring some to your next party to use as a mixer or drink solo.
$60 / 12 – 355 ml bottles
