Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut

Lively and fun to drink, with creamy Asian pear and citrus aromas that lead to crisp, easygoing apple, yeasty cinnamon and mineral flavors. Drink now through 2012.

A wonderfully drinkable sparkling wine that appeals immediately for its balanced texture and rich flavors. Easy to like for its array of raspberries, limes, vanilla, toast and yeast. The sour lees note is nicely balanced with the sweet liqueur of dosage.

Gloria Ferrer’s affordable sparking wines make a case for enjoying bubbly more often. This cuvée, made by Bob Iantosca, head winemaker since 1986, is based on Pinot Noir. His blending skill has resulted in a consistent house style from year to year. The final blend is a mix of 20 different base wines, a strategy designed to build complexity in aroma, texture and flavor.

This wine is finely integrated and creamy in texture, more about richness than freshness. It finishes tight and leesy. Serve with prawns in cream sauce.

A good, dry and elegant bubbly. Shows crisp flavors of yeasty bread dough, limes, tangerines, raspberries and vanilla. This is a great price for a sparkling wine of this finesse.

This bubbly bursts with fresh apple and citrus fruit and lively spicy lemon, tart pear and anise flavors that finish with a clean note. Drink now.

Scents of hazelnuts introduce this simple, grapey sparkler. It’s buttery and leesy, a richly textured wine for roast chicken with lemon and ginger.

Floral aromas of apple and strawberry lead to crisp, easygoing citrus, cinnamon and spiced nut flavors. Drink now.

Mostly Pinot Noir, with some Chardonnay, this rich, crisp bubbly has forward flavors of strawberries, raspberries, tangerines, vanilla and yeasty smoke. It’s quite dry and at its best now.

Incredibly frothy, persistent mousse. Fresh, delicate, lemon-citrusy character with herbal tones. Nicely balanced on the tart, food- oriented side. Creamy texture.

A fine California bubbly, a little scoury in the mouth and sweet in the finish. But the orange, strawberry and lime flavors are good, and the wine satisfies for basic sparkling character.

A festive bubbly, with floral cherry and lemon aromas and succulent cherry, red apple and spice flavors. Drink now.

This bubbly is rich in cherry and raspberry fruit, in addition to the usual sparkling wine notes of bread dough and smoke. It’s a little sweet and scoury on the palate, but a fairly polished sparkler for this price.

Yeasty and balanced in a sweetly ripe style, this full-bodied sparkler is suited to Sunday brunch.