Best Bets for New Year's Eve Bubbly

There's no better way to ring in the New Year than with a glass of bubbly in hand.

Patch recruited Gordon Kaufman, a manager at in the , to share his choices for the best sparkling wines for your festivities.

Kaufman also shared a few fun facts about wines.

• A sparkling white wine can only be called champagne if it is made in the Champagne region of France. However, most sparkling whites are created through a similar process, regardless of where it's made.
• Rose wine gets its distinctive pink hue from the skins of red grapes, which are used in its production.
• American wines are named for the type of grape used to make them. Merlot and Chardonnay are both grape varietals, or types. 
• Unless specified, wines are rarely made with one grape varietal. For example, a blanc de blanc uses only chardonnay grapes.

Now make the selection that's best for you.

Bargain Buy: Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut

Price: About $15

Kaufman's Thoughts: "It's a dry sparkling white wine with great green apple flavors."

Champagne: Veuve Cliquot

Price: About $50 (Calvert is currently offering the beverage for $36)

Kaufman's Thoughts: "This wine is very rich and dry. It has a very 'bready,' yeasty flavor."

Rose: Mumm Napa

Price: About $20

Kaufman's Thoughts: "It's pink and sparkling. It's also dry and crisp with strawberry notes."

Sparkling Red Wine: Brachetto D'acqui

Price: About $20

Kaufman's Thoughts: "Sparkling red wines aren't very common but this one has a nice semi-dry flavor."