Affordable, tasty ways to toast the New Year
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — In just a few hours, another year will have made its way into the history books. As with all of them, there are great moments and experiences to be cherished (and a few to be learned from but not repeated, no doubt).
To toast those memories and ring in the New Year, Mark Lechner, manager of The Wine Works, 1550 Commerce Road, offered his recommendations for sparkling wines for less than $20.
While Champagnes are probably the best-known of the bubblies, they are also the priciest, starting at about $35 and ranging to more than $100 a bottle, Lechner said.
There are other varieties of sparkling wines, produced all over the world, that are less expensive while being very enjoyable.
Wineries from locales including Italy, Australia and the U.S. offer "great variety at a good value," he said.
Sparkling wines come in varieties that are categorized according to sweetness, Lechner said, ranging from dry to sweet.
Dry sparkling wines contain less residual sugar, producing a more effervescent product. A brut contains no more than .6 percent residual sugar; extra dry sparkling wines contain from 1 to 2 percent residual sugar.
Sweet sparkling wines, often called astis, contain 3 percent residual sugar.
When the residual sugar content is higher, the alcohol level is lower, resulting in a less-effervescent, sweeter-tasting sparkling wine.
Lechner's list:
Dry
• Domaine Chandon Brut, $17.99
• Giovello Prosecco, $10.99
• Lunetta Prosecco, $10.99
• Yellow Tail Brut or Rose Brut, $9.99
• Cristalino Brut or Rose Brut, $8.99
Sweet
• Moscato Allegro, $10.99
• Martini and Rossi Asti, $12.99 (or a 1.5 liter bottle for $19.99)
• Tosti Asti, $12.99
• Ballatore, $6.99
There are many other options, Lechner said, but these are some of the best all-around values.
"The quality level overall is so high in the wine market right now. We have dozens of other labels and can help people find what they're looking for," he said.
Most importantly, he reminded, drink what you like.
Wine Works will be open today until 9 p.m.
Another great value on New Year's Eve is the designated driver or hired limousine.
A first-time drunken driving arrest can cost you between $200 and $1,000, three days in jail and a license suspension for at least six months, according to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.