From featherlight fizz to vintage Champagne, sparkling wine is firmly on our radar at this time of year - "our" being you and I since I'm assuming you're a wine lover, if you're reading this column. What with the cost of everything heading in one direction right now - up - the good news is: sparkling wine comes in a wider range of styles and prices than ever before and most are widely available. 

The latest issue of Drinksbiz magazine is out this week with my annual sparkling wine report, so it's time to share five of the best bubblies tasted this year, some included in that report; others have come across my path throughout the year.

The following quintet shows that great sparkling wines come from many places, is made in many different styles and come to us at a range of price points.

Prosecco may be the perennial party starter with its light flavours and body but its success has also promoted the clever side of tank fermented sparkling wines, such as Mission Fête, which delivers a dry, crisp, refreshing sparkling wine made without dosage in a clean modern style. And for lovers of structure and finesse, Quartz Reef Brut NV is a Central Otago classic that punches well above its price tag. It's proof that New Zealand sparkling can rival the best. 

These five bubblies deliver joy in every glass. Here's what makes each one shine.

17.5/20
Canti Prosecco DOC RRP $19.99
If sparkling wine was a mood, Prosecco would be “sunny with a chance of flirting”, thanks to its light style, fruity freshness and gentle fizz. Prosecco is typically made from the Glera grape - think: green apple, pear, white flowers - and has a light body. Prosecco is the world’s best selling and most popular sparkling wine as this award winning version shows, having made the cut into the top 50 wines under $30 at this year’s New World Wine Awards, which I judged mid year. It delivers on taste as well as price. 

17.5/20
Mission Estate Féte Brut Cuvee RRP $23.99
Mission Fête is the clever Kiwi answer to those who want dry, refreshing bubbles without the Champagne price tag. Made using the Charmat method (tank fermentation), it retains bright fruit and a clean, linear profile. Think citrus zest, green apple, and a whisper of almond. What sets it apart is its dryness—no cloying sweetness here—and its stylish branding, which makes it feel like a celebration even before the cork pops. It’s a wine that punches above its weight, ideal for modern palates and minimalist fridges.

18.5/20
Quartz Reef Méthode Traditionnelle Brut NV RRP $41.99
Central Otago’s Quartz Reef is a benchmark for New Zealand sparkling wine. Made in the traditional method (exactly the same way as Champagne), this non-vintage Brut blends Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to deliver complexity, texture and depth of flavour. Expect aromas of citrus peel, brioche and fresh pastry, with a fine bead and long finish. It’s a wine that feels composed and confident—like someone who always knows what to say at a dinner party. The winemaking team’s biodynamic approach adds an extra layer of integrity to the story.

18.5/20
Quartz Reef Methode Traditionelle Rosé NV
RRP $47
Vintners 
This sparkling rosé is an outstanding expression of Central Otago Pinot Noir made from Quartz Reef’s certified organic and biodynamic vineyard in Bendigo, a warm, sun parched corner of Otago’s wine scene. This wine was aged on lees for 24 months, which brings layer of complexity and delicacy with notes of wild strawberry, rose petal and brioche. The palate is dry, vibrant and delicious with a lingering finish. 

18.5/20
No 1 Rosé RRP $49
No 1 Rosé is a benchmark for méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine in Aotearoa New Zealand, thanks to the pioneering work of Daniel and Adele Le Brun whose hard mahi continues to set the standard for elegance, depth and finesse in sparkling rosé. This is made entirely from Pinot Noir and is dry with a toasty subtlety and full-bodied style.

18.5/20
H Lanvin & Fils Cuvée Brut Champagne RRP $50 to $53

Lanvin is the best value champagne available in New Zealand today and consistently delivers the incredibly elegant je ne sais quo of great sparkling wine. Vibrant, fresh and complex, it has the subtle aromas of an early morning bakery and a very long, flavoursome finish. Lanvin Champagne is a consistent winner in wine competitions.

18.5/20
No 1 Reine Cuvée Reserve RRP $63
A new go-to sparkling wine that foots it with the best, rocking a purity of flavour that says new wave but has all the hallmarks of great champagne - yeasty freshness, depth and an incredibly lingering flavoursome finish. This is one of the newest additions to the No 1 Family Estate sparkling wine range – and one of the best bubblies made in New Zealand. Long lees ageing of four years in the bottle brings incredible depth of flavour along with vibrant freshness and complexity. Its name is in honour of Daniel le Brun’s mother, Reine Vautrelle Le Brun, who lived through some of the toughest years in the Champagne region during World War Two. 

18.5/20
2019 Quartz Reef Methode Traditionnelle Vintage Blanc de Blancs RRP $85
Outstanding certified organic sparkling blanc de blancs from Central Otago. This sparkling wine is made the same way as champagne from 100% Chardonnay grapes, in this case grown in Bendigo and aged for five years on lees, which retains exceptional freshness in this wine’s flavours of citrusy purity, supported by subtle creamy aromas and a full body. It’s a wine that’s built to age, drinking beautifully now but with the structure to come its own with another four to five years in bottle. This bubbly is a labour of love made by hand from the grapes to the disgorgement by winemaker Rudi Bauer and his team. The bottle is inspired by Taittinger Comtes de Champagne. 

18.5/20
Pommery Brut Royal NV RRP $124.99
Pommery Brut Royal is a classic dry champagne that has kept its rich, full bodied style intact over its long history; fine bubbles belie its deep flavours of freshly buttered toasted sourdough and a whisper of creme caramel, which adds weight and flavour to every sip. It's an equitable three way blend of the Champagne region's three classic grape varieties; 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir and 33% Pinot Meunier, each bringing balance with respective qualities of freshness (Chardonnay), weight (Pinot Noir) and flesh (Pinot Meunier). The dosage is 10 grams per litre, making it dry with depth from its lengthy three years of ageing on tirage (yeast lees in bottle, prior to release). A winner. 

18/20
Pommery Brut Royal Rosé RRP $144.99
This wine has a slightly higher proportion of Pinot Noir (38%), which brings a light hint of strawberry pink colour and fresh wild berry flavours to this dry, medium bodied champagne. Its dry style, crisp freshness (thanks to 31% Chardonnay) and fleshy style (thanks to 31% Pinot Meunier) make it a winner with wine lovers today; bringing both rosé and bubbles together in a refined, lively and fresh wine, which also spent three years ageing on tirage (yeast lees in bottle) with another six months prior to release. It retains exceptional freshness and zing.