Every December brings about the heart of the holiday season and a New Year’s Day that is fast approaching.But this year there is even more reason to celebrate, with the recession apparently coming to an end and a new year just around the corner that offers hopes for a recovery.

To that end, I think it’s an appropriate time to talk about Champagne again. This is my favorite type of wine, and it is much more versatile than just providing a loud pop of a cork during a party. So despite all the reasons to celebrate and be festive, give some thought to drinking some bubbly with your holiday dinner as well.

By now you likely know the standard disclaimer: All bubbly is sparkling wine, but those that hail from the Champagne region of France are the only ones “supposed” to be called Champagne.But enough about that, let’s get to the good stuff. Here are some of my favorite sparkling wines and recent tastings:

• Veuve Clicquot Brut “Yellow Label” — This is my favorite Champagne and is a solid choice for any celebration year after year. This French bubbly offers robust aromas and flavors of toast, fresh-baked bread, apples and pears. It will go nicely with food, and is a great accompaniment to pizza or just about anything fried. It should cost about $57, but often is on sale for about $50.

• Piper-Heidsieck Brut — I recently tried this French Champagne again after having gone quite a few years since first tasting it. This blew me away. It was full of apple, peach and citrus aromas, including grapefruit and a hint of orange. It also had that great toast and fresh-baked bread flavors that I love in a good bubbly. This would go well with food, particularly turkey or chicken. The price will vary for this, but should be about mid-$40s to no more than $50.

• Mumm Napa Cuvee M — Not all good bubbly comes from overseas. This sparkling wine from California’s Napa Valley is among the best bubblies on the market, and a good value as well. This wine is a bit more delicate, with abundant flavors and aromas of peaches, strawberries and pastries, with hints of vanilla. It would go well with lighter foods, and would match particularly well with not-too-sweet desserts like vanilla creme brulee. It should cost about $18.

• Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut — This wine also comes from California, and is the best of the American sparkling wines. It also is our best value and my pick of the month. It is a bold, rich style of wine, with aromas and flavors of cinnamon, apples and baked dessert breads. It is like an apple pie in a glass, with hints of a pear tart. This matches well with most foods and should cost about $20.