Gaucho100K

Some more...

Baron B Extra Brut
Cristobal Blanc de Blancs
Escorihuela Gascon Peq. Producciones Rose
Baron B Unique
Vistalba Progenie Brut Nature
Eternum Nature
Zuccardi Cuvee Nature Blanc de Blancs

most of the above are in the $30-$50ish range....

Kohoutek

I dare speak for the OP, but you're out of the range of the OP's cheap(ish) budget: sub US$20.

tondoleo

You may want to try kermit lynch in Berkeley. www.kermitlynch.com. They have bubbly wines at your price point.

violist

Hate to say it (no I don't ), but the Iron Horse Brut that some folks idiotically
malign and that is served on a certain cost-cutting air carrier should be mentioned
here as being perfectly fine and quite inexpensive.

Orchids

Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut. Maybe a tad more in price.

For a touch of bubbly, try a white Vinho Verde. Really pleasant in summer with lighter foods. And the price is right.

whackyjacky

All the Spanish Cavas are decent. My favorite is Juve y Camps. Gloria Ferrer Brut can be had for $12 around here. Korbel Brut Natural is way dry and Ch. St Michelle is way cheap and good for Bellinis and Mimosas. wj

Sweet Willie

Mrs Sweet Willie and I have been enjoying a sparkling white burgundy and of course I went to look in the cellar to find the name and we are out of it.

It is sub $20 and I thought a great value.

brunotattaglia

Cristalino (a spanish cava) should be your starting point. It is sold for $6.99-8.99, and everywhere from Safeway to Whole Foods. If you can't tell the difference or don't care, there is no reason to buy something more expensive than this. I think it is excellent.

If you try it and think "hmm I wish it tasted better" then you can move up the chain.

jbcarioca

I have a few favorites, all of them fairly hard to find, but SF is one of the easiest places to find anything bubbly
Adolfo Lona Brut Rose generally $10-14 Brazilian, delightful light, hard to find
Graham Beck Brut Rose about $15 Very good South African
the best for last (i.e. cheap and tasty)
Veuve du Vernay Brut Rose (I googled this and found it in SF at K&L for $6.99
This one is a French one, but made from Tempranillo, a fairly unusual grape in France

All my choices are Rose because I much prefer roses in inexpensive sparkling wine because they carry far more complex and pleasing flavor than do cheap whites, IMHO anyway. There are a host of new California options too, but I've tried few of them so cannot comment.

Djlawman

For another great French sparkling wine, be sure to look for Blanquette de Limoux -- various wineries. Limoux is a small city and wine region near Carcassonne, and the sparkling wine is terrific.

notsosmart

My fave for the money is Perrier-Jouët "Grand Brut". Roughly $35 in most places, but I've seen it for under $30 in some stores in NYC...

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sk...TPV-Googlebase

nerd

Funny - I saw this while waiting in the check-out line on Monday. I only remember it because I thought the name was kind of cheesy (Cristal/Cristalino).

That said, I am a fan of Cava's and will have to check it out next time. ^

UCBeau

Zonin Brut Prosecco. My company sells an incredible amount of the stuff. It's halfway decen too. For 6$.

nerd

+1 for the Graham Beck Rose

YVR Cockroach

Don't bother with the Costco Kirkland brand stuff. Might be real champagne but it doesn't have much character (nondescript) and also a bit on the sweet side. $28/bottle in WA.