Now that the craziness of the holidays is over, you can finally kick back and enjoy some wine without the distraction of noisy relatives and hard-partying friends. I’m going to suggest something radical here – how about a post-New Year’s glass of bubbly? Chances are that when the clock struck midnight on January 1, you were too busy celebrating to detect the nose of pear and apricot on your glass of sparkling wine. So now’s your chance to make up for it by popping open that extra bottle of brut you have left over, or even buying a new one.

There are some great deals out there on sparkling wines if you stray outside the official Frnech Champagne region and head west to Spain, south it Italy, or across the oceans to Australia, America or Canada. One of my longtime favorites for value bubbly is the Spanish Cava, Segura Viudas Brut Reserva ($12). The Cavas from Spain are made using the same method as Champagne, but often sell for a mere $10-15. I bought my first bottle of Segura Viudas Brut about 12 years ago after it scored 90 points in Wine Spectator. The quality and price have stayed consistent ever since. The fine bubbles create a creamy taste. It’s a dry, refreshing wine, but is graced with complex floral and mineral notes that tease the senses. Give it a try, or crack open whatever else you have sitting on your counter, and enjoy the true flavors of the post-holiday sipping experience.