Bubbles to toast the twinkling promise of 2026

Love it or hate it, New Year’s Eve is, at the very least, a good excuse to raise a glass of something sparkling. Whether it’s been a good or bad year, here are 10 sparkling wines that run the gamut from pleasant to profound to pop and pour on Dec. 31 — with the hopes that 2026 brings you plenty of comfort and joy.

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Pale straw in appearance, the Villa Conchi NV Cava Brut Selección (Cava, Spain — $16.19, Liquor Marts and beyond) is a blend of equal parts Macabeo, Xarel-Lo and Parellada, with some Chardonnay in there too; it brings green apple, lime, flint and subtle herbal notes aromatically.

Those notes persist on the light-bodied, mainly dry palate, with bright, lively bubbles that keep things fun and fresh.

It’s on sale right now (regular $17.99) and also comes in a smaller format (the 375ml bottle is $9.89 right now, regular $10.99). 3/5

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Made from Pinot Noir grapes grown in northern Italy, the Bottega NV Rosé Gold Spumante (Lombardy, Italy — $31.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is very pale pink in appearance, with ripe cherry, raspberry candy, dried peach and herbal aromas.

There’s a hint of sweetness on the light-plus bodied palate that accentuates the red fruit and candied notes, while bubbles and acidity offer a fair bit of zip. Like the Villa Conchi, for those looking for just a splash of bubbly, there’s a smaller format available — a 200-ml bottle version for $9.99. 3/5

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Malbec grapes sourced from the Uco Valley in Mendoza go into the Gouguenheim NV Malbec Bubbles Extra Brut (Mendoza, Argentina — $17.75, Liquor Marts and beyond); it’s pretty salmon pink in appearance, while aromatically it brings fresh cherries, strawberries, bread dough and a subtle floral note.

It’s bone-dry and light-plus bodied, with lively bubbles delivering cherry and red berry flavours, a modest underlying yeasty note, medium acidity and, at 12 per cent alcohol, a relatively lengthy finish. Fun, flavourful fizz. 3.5/5

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A blend of 50 per cent Chardonnay, 30 per cent Chenin Blanc, 15 per cent Pinot Noir and five per cent Mauzac, Le Grand Noir NV Crémant de Limoux (Limoux, France — $20.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is medium straw in appearance, and brings spiced apple, brioche, lime zest and herbal aromas, with a hint of brie in there as well.

It’s dry and light-bodied, with medium acidity coming with lively bubbles, some green apple and ripe citrus notes and, at 12 per cent alcohol, a relatively robust finish. A nice price right now (it’s on sale until the end of December, regularly $24.99). 3.5/5

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An Alsatian blend of Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris grapes, the Gustave Lorentz NV Crémant d’Alsace Brut (Alsace, France — $37-$39, private wine stores) is pale straw in colour and aromatically offers ripe pear and red apple plus lemon zest, a chalky component and hints of bread dough.

On the dry, light-bodied palate it’s crisp and clean, with hints of sweet orange coming with complex red apple, pear, lemon zest and chalky notes, medium acidity and zippy bubbles and a medium-length finish (it’s 12.5 per cent alcohol).

Exceptional — available at most private wine stores. 4.5/5

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From closer to home, the Cave Spring NV Dolomite Brut (Beamsville Bench, Ont. — $34, G.J. Andrews) is made from estate-grown Chardonnay; it’s medium straw in appearance with ripe red apple, peach, honeysuckle and bread dough notes and a hint of toasted nut.

Light-bodied, bone-dry and with lively effervescence, it brings lemon zest and herbal notes, while aging on the lees (yeast cells) adds yeasty, nutty notes that work brilliantly with the red apple skin, peach and honeyed notes.

The 12 per cent alcohol brings a long, fine finish, making for a fizz that’s as good or better than many entry-level French champagnes at twice the price or more. 4.5/5

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The Bon Courage 2013 Jacques Bruére Blanc de Blancs (Robertson, South Africa — around $36-$39, private wine stores) is a sparkling wine made from Chardonnay grapes, deep gold in appearance and aromatically offering bread dough, red apple, peach and flint as well as secondary toasted nut and lemon curd notes.

It’s dry and medium-bodied, with rich and complex red apple, bread dough, peach, pineapple and chalky notes along with the lovely nutty, lemon undercurrents that come with the fine bubbles.

Amazing complexity thanks to 120 months aging on the lees; a wicked value that’s available at Ellement Wine + Spirits and Kenaston Wine Market (Jones & Co. has the winery’s Brut Reserve and Rosé Brut). 4.5/5

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For a fizzy wine on the wilder side, the Fattoria Moretto NV Canova (Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, italy — $36.95, Kenaston Wine Market) is an organic Italian sparkling red made from the Lambrusco grape; it’s inky purple-garnet in colour with violet bubbles, and aromatically offers blackberry, tart plum, violet, herbal and chalky notes.

It’s medium-bodied and dry, with tart blackberry and plum flavours coming with that chalky component that accentuates the modest tannins, and a lingering blueberry tea note that surfaces on the medium-length finish (it’s 12 per cent alcohol). If you’ve never tried a Lambrusco, find yourself a bottle and enjoy the ride. 4/5

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Made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes from a range of vintages, the Champagne Devaux NV Cuvée D Brut (Champagne, France — $71.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is pale straw and delivers beautiful toasted nut, peach pie, spiced apple and chalky notes aromatically.

It’s dry, medium-bodied and delightfully fleshy, with ripe red apple, pear and peach coming with bread dough, lemon zest and some herbal, chalky undercurrents. The lively bubbles and zippy acidity add lovely length to the lingering flavours on the finish (it’s 12 per cent alcohol).

Treat yourself while it’s on sale (it’s regularly $79.99). 5/5

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Last but not least is the Champagne Ayala NV Brut Majeur (Champagne, France — around $110-$120, private wine stores), a 55-30-15 blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes also sourced from various vintages. It’s medium straw in appearance and aromatically brings ripe lemon, green apple and brioche notes on the nose, along with hints of toasted nuts and a subtle herbal component.

It’s bone-dry and medium-bodied, with fine but lively effervescence delivering fresh lemon, green apple, bread dough and herbal notes, with medium acidity that comes with a chalky note on the long, lingering finish (it’s 12 per cent alcohol). Beautiful — available at the Winehouse and Kenaston Wine Market. 4.5/5

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