THE FUSE

The cheapest Champagne I’ve seen in a store is $60. Maybe even $75. And that’s just for the entry-level stuff. What if I told you that you could get sparkling wine made in the same way, often with the same grapes, for half the price?

The term “Champagne” is legally protected. You can’t just call any bubbly Champagne. It has to follow a strict set of rules: made in a certain method, with certain grapes, in a certain area of France.

I’m a wine expert, and I believe the method to making Champagne is the most important thing that makes Champagne, Champagne. It’s a lengthy process: After fermentation, the wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle and ages on what’s called the “lees,” or the leftover yeast cells. These yeast cells give the wine a creaminess, with notes of baked bread. It’s what makes a great Champagne dreamy and rich — all while maintaining a throughline of bright acid to keep things balanced.

Any wine producer around the world can use the Champagne method to make sparkling wine — and they do. Just look on the bottle for terms like “Champagne method,” “traditional method,” or “methodee champenoise.” They all mean the same thing: that the wine was made using the same method as Champagne.

They each have their own character, and all are worthy of gifting or celebrating. Just as good, I’d argue, as any entry-level Champagne, and for half the price.

The Loire Valley deserves a spot on the world stage for its sparklers, and this cremant is proof of that. Cremants, by law, are made in France, in the Champagne method, and must be aged on the lees for 12 months. This bottle goes much farther than that: It’s aged on the lees for at least 36 months.

Made mainly from Chenin Blanc, this wine shows what Chenin can really do: offer up bright, fresh apples in spades. It has a clean, profound flavor of lemon curd, fresh cream, and juicy apples, making it easy to love — but don’t be fooled by its simplicity. That purity of flavor only comes from a wine that’s been meticulously and thoughtfully grown, harvested, and produced.

Buy: Langlois-Château Cremant de Loire Brut Réserve, $29.97 for 750 mL at wine.com

J Vineyards in Sonoma is known for its sparkling wines. Made by Nicole Hitchcock, they have a distinctly elegant feel — similar to the winemaker herself. This is a classic blend of grapes typically used in Champagne (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier) and is aged on the lees for at least two years. It’s refreshing, creamy, and punches well above its weight.

Cavas are another great way to buy Champagne-method wines without the high price tag. There are a lot of cheap, entry-level bottles. But once you spend $20 or $30 on a Cava, that’s when the magic happens.

This one comes from hand-harvested, old-vine grapes. It’s a blend of nine different grape varieties, a majority of them indigenous to Spain, and aged for two years on the lees. It has a smoky, floral character, with notes of white flowers, apple, and honeyed biscuit, and a distinctly mineral finish. Plus, the bottle’s design makes it exceptionally giftable.

Buy: Segura Viudas Brut Heredad Reserva, $33.97 for 750 mL at wine.com

Do you have a foolproof tip for picking out cheap bottles of wine? Tell us about it in the comments below.