In a matter of days horns will be blowing, confetti thrown and streamers wrapped around the necks of party-goers. Many of them will be holding a glass of bubbly, toasting the start of another new year and much of the sparkling wine drunk will be plonk (wine snob talk for crap).

More bubbly goes out the door of liquor stores for New Years' Eve than any other time of the year and for many it's the only time they buy the stuff (which is the real shame). This haste means many people end up making the wrong choice and are disappointed with what's in their flute. Below is a sure-fire list of tips, the basics and some great recommendations so you'll be able to pick a bottle of bubbly everyone will enjoy.

The names
Champagne: to call itself Champagne it must come from the tiny region of the same name in France.

Prosecco: the name Italians call their sparkling wine.

Cava: bubbly from Spain.

Sekt: the German version of sparkling wine.

Sparkling wine: what we Canadians, Americans, Australians, South Africans, Chileans etc., call bubbly.

The basics
Most fizzy wine, no matter where it's from is made from a blend of grapes, usually Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Pinot grapes have their skins removed so as not to colour the wine. Vintage sparkling wine is very rare (all grapes coming from the same year) as most are a blend of many grapes from different years.

Bubbles
There's a couple ways to get CO2 into wine. The cheapest sparkling wine producers pump carbon dioxide into tanks containing the wine and then bottle it under pressure (think soda pop).

Another method is to add a little sugar to the wine tank before the wine is fully fermented. The sugar reacts with the remaining yeast, creating CO2 and instead of letting it escape the winemaker bottles the wine, again under pressure, to produce wines of low to medium cost.

Methode Champenoise or methode traditionale is the most labour intensive thus creating a more costly wine but also the best results. Look for this label on the bottle you're buying--it's not only Champagne that's produced in this way. After the first fermentation the wine is bottled and topped off with some sugar, usually in the form of a liqueur and a bit of yeast. The wine goes through a second fermentation inside the bottle, trapping the carbon dioxide.

Sweety-darling: deciphering the label!
Brut: dry, less than 1.5% sugar
Extra Sec: extra dry, 1.2 to 2% sugar
Sec: medium sweet, 1.7 to 3.5% sugar
Demi-Sec: sweet, 3.3 to 5% sugar (dessert champagne)
Doux: very sweet, over 5% sugar (dessert champagne)
Ones to try:

Jacobs Creek Chardonnay Pinot Noir Sparkling, Australia, $13.75
Sugar Content : 2
Aromas of lemon, apple and even cherries define this light bodied and well balanced sparkler from down under.

Jackson Triggs, Sparkling Cuve Close, Canada, $14.95
Sugar Content: 1
Great value for the price this Ontario bubbly has a floral and citrus nose with a crisp green apple finish.

Codorniu Cava ‘Raventos' Brut, Spain, $15.95
Sugar Content: extra dry
Fruity and fresh with hints of grapefruit, lemon and floral undertones-an excellent cava for the price.

Mumm Cuvee Napa Brut Prestige, U.S.A. $27.40
Sugar Content: 1
Pale straw colour with aromas of pear, apple and lemon rind that lead to a palate of toasty bread notes. Slightly complex but elegant finish.

Nicolas Feuillantte Brut Reserve Particular, France, $41.60
Sugar Content : 1
Biscuits and citrus, with hints of apple and pear round out this reasonably-priced champagne. Its creamy palate finishes crisp and clean.

Veuve Cliquot Brut, France, $62.60
Sugar Content: 1
Bright yellow straw colour, elegant mousse; Fruity, citrus, mineral, toasty aromas with a hint of bread dough; Dry, full bodied style, with well balanced acidity & complex flavours of mineral, citrus and shortbread on the long finish.