10 Ridiculously Cheap Bottles of Champagne to Ring in the New Year

The iconic New Year’s celebration includes a countdown, a kiss and a glass of bubbly. Two of those are free, and the third doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to be perfect.

Understanding the different types of sparkling wines can help you understand more about what you might want to buy to ring in 2025 — or celebrate any special occasion.

For the best cheap champagne, check out this list, and ring in the new year without breaking the bank.

The Best Cheap Champagne for $15 a Bottle or Less

We compiled a list of 10 sparkling wines that will make toasting in the New Year an absolute, inexpensive pleasure. We’ve given you sources to buy them online but you might be able to find them — or request them — at your favorite spirits purveyor. But first, here’s some background knowledge.

Champagne vs. Sparkling Wine

Real Champagne comes from the Champagne region of France, which is why no one else can use the word “champagne” on labels. French Champagne is made from specific grapes including Pinot noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay grapes, as well as a few others.

All that other bubbly we drink is called sparkling wine. Technically speaking, all champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is champagne. However, both are made with prescribed ways to press the grapes and a second fermentation that creates bubbles

Luckily, sparkling wine doesn’t have to be expensive to be holiday-worthy.

4 Types of Sparkling Wine to Try

There is no actual, officially designated Champagne on this list—since it sells for $30 or more a bottle. But regular sparkling wine can taste delicious to both regular wine drinkers and occasional celebrators.

Here are four types of sparkling wine to consider for the best cheap champagne alternatives.

1. Prosecco

One of the best-known sparkling wines is prosecco. Prosecco originated in the northeastern part of Italy, named after a little town in Trieste. Prosecco is more affordable than Champagne because the second fermentation happens in a vat, and then it is bottled. Champagne does its second fermentation in each individual bottle. Prosecco tends to be on the sweeter side.

There are two main types of prosecco. Spumante is full on bubbly. Frizzante is fizzier with lighter bubbles.

2. Sparkling Rosé

Rosé wine is made from dark-skinned grapes and some grape skin, but not enough to call it red wine. Dark-skinned grapes may be left to macerate (soften in liquid) and then blended in with other grapes. Sparkling rosé is fermented in a closed container, so the carbon monoxide can’t escape.

A lot of sparkling rosés from California use the Pinot Noir grape. Sparkling rosé can be sweet or dry.

3. Cava

Spanish winemakers’ process for making cava is similar to that of French Champagne, by doing the second fermentation in the bottle. One of the things that makes it more affordable is that the Spanish have machines doing the necessary rotating and tipping bottles during fermentation. The French usually do it by hand.

Cava can have the same robust flavor as Champagne but is lighter, and cheaper, because of a shorter production time. Cava tends to be more dry, or brut.

4. Crémant

Crémant is another sparkling wine from France, made outside the Champagne region, and uses a lot of the same methods. There are still pretty stringent regulations that must be met for a wine to be called crémant. Keep this in mind, since it costs a little less than Champagne but requires almost the same handcrafting and Champagne-method to make.

Sparkling Wine Terms to Know

There are a handful of terms that describe the sweetness of sparkling wine, which is great to know before popping the cork. Wine isn’t naturally sweet; sugar is added during the process to make the flavor more pleasing. 

• Bruts are the driest designation, with brut zero having no additional sugar. Brut has just a couple of grams of sugar per glass. The dryness makes it an amiable partner with food.
• Extra dry is next. People often think extra dry is less sweet than brut, but the opposite is true, according to Paul Mulder of Total Wine & More. It’s still pretty dry, with maybe ¾ of a teaspoon of sugar per glass.This goes well with appetizers and light meals.
• Demi-sec is the sweeter sparkling wine, which people often serve with dessert. It has at least a teaspoon of sugar in each glass.
• Doux is what you should look for if you like really sweet sparkling wine.

The Best Champagne-Like Bubbly Wines

Traditional Champagnes made in the Champagne region of France are too pricey for our $15 list. These are the next best thing to capture the smoothness and balance of French bubbly.

1. Bouvet Signature Brut

This French brut is dry and crisp and can be paired with appetizers or enjoyed solo. Your taste buds will detect nectarines or peaches in the mix.

Price: $13.95 Empire Wine

2. Domaine Saint Vincent Brut

With a very traditional flavor profile, a green apple start and citrusy finish, this is the classic brut Champagne-like taste. Even though it is brut, there isn’t a prominent acidity to it.

Price: $14.99 ABC Fine Wine and Spirits

3. Korbel Extra Dry

If brut is too dry, Korbel is a light, crispy choice, easy on the wallet and tongue. It’s probably the best-known cheap champagne-like sparkler out there, for good reason.

Price: $11.97 Total Wine, $14 Korbel

Prosecco

Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine and is often touted as a great accompaniment to appetizers. We recommend these three wines for that, but also for toasting the new year.

4. La Marca Prosecco

When you see that beloved sky blue label, you know the party is off to a good start. La Marca is one of the best cheap champagne alternatives out there. Maybe get two bottles, since it is very easy to drink.

Price: $12.97 Total Wine

5. Fascino Organic Prosecco NV

Fascino makes the frizzante type of prosecco, with light, tickling, fruity bubbles. Plus it’s organic. It’s a blend of different vintages, which keeps the price low and quality high.

Price: $12.89 Best Buy Liquors, $14.99 Stirling Fine Wines

6. Mionetto Prosecco di Treviso Brut

This is a consistently highly rated cheap prosecco with a slight taste of tropical fruits and a smooth, creamy feel. It is less sweet than traditional prosecco.

Price: $15 Wine Searcher

Sparkling Rosé

Not a fan of French taste? Toast with a sparkling rosé. California winemakers often use pinot noir grapes solely in their sparkling rosé but other producers use a blend of red-skinned grapes. Our budget suggestions here come from Chile and Oregon.

7. Cono Sur Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé

This is one of the best cheap champagne alternatives on the list and is arguably the best sparkling rosé. The climate for Chilean wine-making is perfect, and using prosecco-like methods keeps the costs low. You’ll love the berry and fruity flavors with strong bubbles that soften after a minute.

Price: $10 Wine-Searcher

8. Del Rio Vineyard Estate Jolee Rosé

This demi-sec rosé has a creamy, citrusy and tropical flavor and tastes way more lush than its price indicates. These Oregon winemakers balance sweetness with acidity, so there’s the right amount of each.

Price: $15 Del Rio Vineyard Estates

Cava

Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine and tends to be sweeter and dryer than French Champagne.

9. Loxarel Saniger Penedes Brut Reserva 2016

This is an exciting wine discovery! This Spanish winemaker uses organic and biodynamic viticulture methods, combining older traditions with newer science. Consider it a fabulous option for New Year’s celebrations.

Price: $13.97 PJ Wine

10. Segura Viudas Aria Estate Brut Cava

Made with centuries-old cava traditions, this robust and fruity cava pairs well with seafood and cheeses or with that midnight toast and kiss. It’s a very refreshing drink that tastes similar to brut Champagne.

Price: $12.99 Wine.com

How to Up Your Champagne Game

Whether it’s for a toast on New Year’s Eve or just a Thursday night treat, Champagne and sparkling wines benefit from getting the details just right.

• Grab the right glasses. A flute can make the best cheap champagne taste like the famous Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, which costs more than 12 times as much as any bottle on our list. “People like stemless glasses because they won’t tip over,” says Mulder. “They can diminish the presentation, though. Champagne flutes make the bubbles concentrate a little more.”
• Don’t use Champagne in cocktails. We can’t recommend using a good Champagne in your mimosas, since the orange juice would hide the quality. Every sparkling wine listed here would work well in “champagne” cocktails.
• Do make sparkling wine cocktails. Mulder loves the versatility of sparkling wine cocktails. He recommends a Bacio del Limone, which is the Italian liqueur limoncello mixed with prosecco and mixed berries. Try it with a bottle of St. Reine Blanc de Blancs Brut, just $15.99 at Total Wine.

The Penny Hoarder contributor JoEllen Schilke writes on lifestyle and culture topics. She is the former owner of a coffee shop in St. Petersburg, Florida, and has hosted an arts show on WMNF community radio for nearly 30 years. Senior writer Robert Bruce and freelancer Adam Palasciano contributed.