Price: $9

Producer: Paul Cheneau

Origin: Penedes, Spain

Type of wine: Dry white sparkling wine made from a blend of grapes

Try it with: A good hors d’oeuvre wine, cheese & crackers, cream-based soups

Date Reviewed: Feb. 2004

Spain knows how to crank out the value bubbly. Paul Cheneau Art Series Brut Cava comes in a very festive deco bottle. This light gold sparkler has eager bubbles of varying sizes in the glass. Crisp scents of green apples and citrus dominate, accompanied by subtle mineral aromas. Cheneau’s Cava is very straightforward in the mouth – bright and crisp. This makes it a good bet for most hors d’oeuvres. It also pairs well with cream-based soups. Bubbly lovers will notice the absence of complexity found in many sparkling wines. Though, at $9, it’s a very good value.