Bubbly That Won't Leave Your Wallet Flat

If it's December, it must be time for champagne.

There's just something about the ritual and the sound of a popping cork that seems to evoke the holiday spirit.

But even the lower-end champagnes have gotten more expensive lately with the weak dollar, which makes it all the more important to get as much enjoyment as possible out of that bottle.

Real champagne, of course, comes only from the Champagne region of France. Most champagne is nonvintage, which means that grapes from several harvests can be combined to create it, and it is usually aged one to three years. Vintage champagne is produced only in years when the grapes from that harvest can hold their own. It is often aged longer, and the best grapes are used in the vintage wines. And even within that group, there are regular vintage champagnes and premium vintage ones, which go by names such as prestige cuvée. ...