Not the fireworks, although those too will surely come as the clock counts down to midnight, but the sound of corks being jettisoned from bottles of sparkling wines. For many people, ending one year and beginning the next with Champagne or some other sparkling wine is a tradition.

If so, it’s one indelibly linked to the economy. According to the Wine Institute, which tracks things like this, in 2007, with the economy still rollicking along, the U.S. consumed 13.8 million wine-bottle cases of sparkling wines, which includes Champagne.

Freixenet is the world's largest producer of sparkling wine made in the methode champenoise, which includes hand riddling some of the more-expensive cuvees.

Two years later, the consumption was up to 13.9 million cases, but the increase came in domestic (mostly California) sparkling wines as foreign sparkling wine sales sagged. By 2010, foreign wine sales were up as 15.4 million cases of sparkling wine were consumed, indicative not only of the recovering U.S. economy but also the strength of the dollar compared to sagging economies in Europe.

California, not surprisingly, leads the U.S. in sparkling wine production and last year produced just more than 8 million cases (96 million bottles) of sparkling wine, which allows American consumers the luxury of more choices from more countries than, say, Britain. But the Brits, perhaps it’s tradition or simply because they don’t have as wide a range of selections as their American counterparts, consume nearly three times as much Champagne each year.

Champagne, as we all know, is a name protected by law and comes only from the Champagne region of northeast France; all other bubblies are properly called sparkling wines. While nearly all Champagnes are based mainly on three grapes – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier – you can find sparkling wines made from shiraz and other varietals.

I know of only one Colorado winemaker producing a sparkling wine and that’s strictly a small-batch, private bottling. Because the costs of production and bottling are so much greater in making a sparkling wine, size of scale plays a role in who can afford to produce them. Extra thick bottles, special stoppers and the labor involved keeps the cost of a sparkling wine higher than a producing a still wine.

Freixenet (fresh-eh-net), located near Sant Sadurni d’Anoia in Spain’s Catalonian region, is the world’s largest maker of sparkling wine made in the traditional method (also often referred to as methode champenoise or methode traditionelle), producing 100 million bottles of cava each year. This traditional method includes hand riddling, the gradual turning of each upended bottle to clear the unfiltered wine of sediment,for the higher grades of Freixenet’s cavas.

Tony Domenech of Freixenet explains how that company still uses the time-consuming and labor-intensive technique of manually riddling bottles during the production of Freixent's premier cuvees. Freixenet, headquartered in Spain, is the world's largest producer of traditionally made sparkling wines.

Non-traditional methods, in case you wonder, may include such short cuts as blasting the still wine with carbon dioxide to produce bubbles. Fermenting the wines in immense stainless steel tanks rather than individual bottles is called the Charmat method and is used to make Italian Proseccos.

According to the Champagne Bureau, 40 percent of all sparkling wine sales occur around the holidays. That might be due to what New York Times wine columnist Eric Asimov called the myth of “black-tie urbanity” connected to Champagne. In his column Dec. 19, Asimov pointed out that “Champagne is one of the world’s most versatile and pleasing wines. That’s another crucial point: Champagne is a wine, though this may not be obvious to some, and it needs to be thought of in that context.”

And in a Twitter post from 2010, he wrote “Drink Champagne because you want to, not because some marketing fool tells you it’s ‘Champagne Day.’”

That extends to all sparkling wines, which range in price and value from under $10 for some imported bubblies to several thousand dollars for the ultra-prestige labels. Which means you can splurge on that $50 bottle of Champagne during the holidays and still enjoy something with bubbles the rest of the year.

When looking at labels, remember sparkling wines range in sweetness from Extra Brut (driest), Brut (the most common), Extra dry, Dry, Demi-Sec and Doux (sweetest).

If you want the traditions of Europe without the cost, look for some of the American wineries with their roots in Europe. These include such familiar names as Gruet, Schramsberg, Roederer Estate, Mumm Napa, Domaine Carneros (Taittinger), and Gloria Ferrer (of Spain’s Freixenet family). Other names to watch for include the J Wine Company and Robert Mondavi (California); Freixenet and Codorniu (Spain); and Bortolomiol, Bisol and Drusian, all from Italy.

It’s hard to miss notice of the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau, the vin de primeur that French law says can only be released at 12:01 a.m. on the third Thursday of November, and so renown it has its own coming out parties, sort of a Fat Tuesday (on the third Thursday of November) for wine.

Noting the success Beaujolais Nouveau producers have had with their up-front “How do you like me so far?” introduction, other wine regions now have similar introductory celebrations but none have enjoyed the mystique or international popularity of Beaujolais Nouveau.

Much of that you may lay at the feet of one Georges DuBoeuf, the French wine producer whose fertile mind first conceived of selling the mass markets on a young, fruity wine that’s both affordable and fun to drink.

DuBoeuf , now 78, is a French farm boy who grew up to be one of his country’s largest wine producers, annually shipping out to 120 countries about 30 million bottles of wine with his name on them. And while he’s not the only Beaujolais on the market, his is the best-selling brand in the U.S.

And that’s saying a lot, considering it’s estimated 65 million bottles of Nouveau will be consumed this year plus the Beaujolais Crus, which won’t appear for another year. Nouveau means new, which means young, which means these grapes were picked in early September and in your glass by mid-November.

Beaujolais Nouveau originally was made to serve the harvest workers at the end of harvest, not simply to celebrate but to give them a literal taste of their efforts. To do so, it had to be made quickly so the grapes are not fermented in the traditional style but rather using whole-berry carbonic maceration. No crushing; simply pour the grapes into whatever fermenter you’re using and let the juice ferment inside the berries.

The juice is put in tanks briefly to finish (today it’s stainless steel, wood is to slow and too costly) and soon you have Beaujolais Nouveau. Light, fruity, with just enough tannic structure to add a comfortable edge to all that fruit.

DuBoeuf says this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau “2011 will be a great millésime in Beaujolais – complex, serious, solid and rich in delicious flavors. There is something divine about it.”

He’s said something similar about the last few vintages but he insists this one is better than the previous releases.

“After having tasted several hundred samples of the wine, I am astounded by this terrific vintage,” DuBoeuf said in a statement. “It looks like it will top every excellent year in the Beaujolais wine hall of fame.”

Maybe it’s climate change, maybe it’s just the nature of the Gamay grape, but millions of Beaujolais Nouveau drinkers will again prove him right.

The wine is available just about everywhere, and for $10 it’s a good choice to decorate your Thanksgiving table.

Can you say “kiss of death”?

Don’t get me wrong, I love Prosecco. I enjoy savoring it, I admire, respect and appreciate the people who grow, make and supply us Prosecco and I don’t even mind too much someone bestowing another of the never-ending Italian DOC classifications on the area. I even order it in restaurant, just to see how many wine stewards are aware that Italy, too, makes a lovely sparkling wine.

But hearing that noise of WE jumping on the Prosecco bandwagon (where have you people been all this time?) only makes me wonder what the future holds for Prosecco in general.

Some people consider this announcement a great thing for Prosecco, and maybe if I were a advertising type I would also. A press release today (Tuesday) says the award will be bestowed Jan. 30 in New York City, but already the Italian apparatchiks are basking in the heat-ray glow of Prosecco’s newly bestowed fame.

Here’s what the Italians are saying (and saying and saying):

“The Wine Enthusiast’s award provides recognition for the hard work of a small community made up of 15 communes in the hilly area between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, where the people have shown constant faith in a single wine, Prosecco,” said Innocente Nardi, president of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. “This area still has an important role today in setting quality standards. Here, in fact, quality reaches its utmost expression, as is also demonstrated by the excellent results obtained in the Italian wine guides, which have bestowed their highest accolades on some of our wines.”

And wait, that’s not all:

Fulvio Brunetta, president of the Prosecco D.O.C., gushed, “Obtaining this award bears witness to the correctness of the choices we have made. The reasons for the prize, in fact, can be ascribed to the ability of the production system to take courageous decisions like those of limiting the production area and raising quality standards, in the knowledge that to compete on international markets one has to be able to offer volumes that are consonant with the demand”.

Hmmm. Sorry, Fulvio, but I thought you guys jumped on the DOC train because other producers outside the area were “offering volumes (of Prosecco) that are consonant with the demand.”

You know, sometimes not getting high numbers or international recognition might be good, if for no other reason it allows winemakers to continue to make their wines as they have for years, rather than stumble trying to meet someone else’s expectations. Or trying to meet a rising demand. A rising tide might mean a tsunami, you know.

My friend The Italian Wine Guy has blogged/written about this a couple of times and if I can find the links I’ll post them here.

In the mean time, “Congratulazione, Prosceco, e megliori auguri.”

Here is a mixed list of a few of my latest, all of which would find balance on any Thanksgiving table:

Plum Creek Cellars Palisade Red – a well-done blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and sangiovese. As are all Plum Creek wines, this is 100 percent Colorado grown fruit.A medium-bodied red wine, soft tannins and lots of fruit. A friend and I enjoyed it at Inari’s Bistro (970.464.4911) in Palisade along with items off the new fall menu: a lamb burger and a Colorado Red Bird chicken breast with Palisade pears in gorgonzola sauce. It paired very well with the medium-rare lamb. $24 off the wine list.

Montinore Estate Reserve Pinot Noir

Hermosa Vineyards late Harvest Rkatsiteli – Hermosa Vineyards owner Ken Dunn enjoys aging some of his white wines in oak (“I love what a little tannin does to white wine,” he affirmed) but missed the opportunity and happily so with this 2006 Rkatsiteli, a cold-hardy white grape from Georgia (think Soviet Union, not Atlanta). This wine is fermented to off-dry (he says sweet) with enough acidity to balance the high residual sugar. $15 at the winery.

Bennett Lane 2006 Maximus Napa Valley – This latest version of winemaker Grant Hermann’s full-throated red (it’s subtitled “Red Feasting Wine”) initially was dense, closed and awfully tight, refusing to show its flavors and depth, when first opened. I kept it open on the counter overnight and the next evening it began to open; by the third day it finally was approachable and I wish I had decanted the whole thing earlier. Full of deep dark fruits, a hint of chocolate and coffee encased in soft tannins. Knock out your holiday guests with this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Syrah, and 5% Malbec. A bargain at $35.

Montinore Estate 2009 Willamete Valley Pinot Noir – Affordable pinot noirs generally have been a real disappointment recently but this delicious medium-bodied selection from Montinore Estate is rich with ripe cherries, red raspberries and plums with a hint of spice and mocha. $20.

Montinore Estate 2009 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir – Oregon’s Willamette Valley steadily produces outstanding pinot noirs and this offering from Montinore Estate is an outstanding example. Flavors of bright red and black raspberries, Bing cherries, red plums and spicy-mocha comfortably supported by smooth round tannins. $28.

El Coto Rioja – This DOC crianza (two years aging, at least six months in oak) is reminiscent of the fine and very affordable reds I sampled on a whirlwind tour of Rioja this summer. Aged in American oak for added spice, the wine’s chewy tannins and red fruit flavors paired well with a pot of chicken-tortilla soup. $14.

The much-heralded Parker, who might have as many fans as he has detractors in the wine world, played his role as Oracle to the hilt. Among his other predictions: The “total collapse” of the three-tier distribution system in the U.S.; the mainstreaming of wine-oriented online sites; France getting squeezed by the globalization of the world wine market; unoaked wines will continue to grow in popularity (this from Parker??); and “once-backwater Italian viticultural areas such as Umbria, Campania, Basilicata and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia will become household names by 2015.”

Read the rest of his predictions here.

A few selected excuses for not carrying/serving Colorado wines in your restaurant or liquor store.

Excuse No. 71: “I used to live in Carmel and I got spoiled drinking California wines.”

Excuse No. 35: “I had a Colorado wine four or five years ago and wasn’t impressed.”

Excuse No. 64: “They don’t taste like wines from California.”

Excuse No. 11: “They’re too hard to sell: Our customers don’t know anything about them.”

Yeah, yeah. I heard these excuses within the last two weeks during some travels around western Colorado. Being the nosy sort, and since I get paid for it, I make it a point to look at wine displays and check out wine menus wherever I go, and I’m certainly not opposed to asking restaurant staff and liquor store clerks about their sales and stocking of Colorado wines.

It rarely surprises me to find a lack of Colorado wines, given how small most of the state’s wineries are, how difficult distribution can be and how stores and restaurants depend on a reliable supply of wines to sell their customers. But in some cases, having no or only a tiny collection of Colorado wines makes no sense.

When a friend and I recently enjoyed dinner in Palisade, we found the meal delightful but were disappointed to find the wine menu listed only six Colorado wines among the 24 offered. We were told by the server that most customers didn’t understand Colorado wine and rarely ordered them.

With only six local wines (four whites and two reds) on the menu and little encouragement from the staff, we can understand why few people order a locally made wine. Sadly, this came from a restaurant in the heart of Colorado wine country, less than 10 minutes from several of the best wineries and a restaurant regularly patronized by the winemakers and owners of the wineries.

Of the two Colorado reds on the menu, we selected a Plum Creek Cellars 2008 Palisade Red ($24), a delicious blend of merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and sangiovese.

During another dinner, this at the Twisted Fork bistro in Gunnison where the wine list was right out of a distributor’s sales book, restaurant owner Jay Harris said he tried a Colorado wine “four or five years ago” and wasn’t impressed. “They didn’t taste like a California wine,” he said.

But to his credit, Harris did say he had recently dropped his national distributor (“They forgot to deliver my order, again,” he told me) and instead was hooking up with a Denver-based distributor. While that alone may not improve his selection of wines, particularly Colorado wines, he did say would be open to carrying a Colorado wine, if he could get a salesman to visit and he found a wine he liked. “But my other distributor doesn’t carry those wines,” he said, hoping to find a winery or two that made house calls.

And finally, during a stop at Acme Liquors in Crested Butte, I spotted a small display of Colorado wines but the clerk at the checkout said he knew nothing about them.

“We just started carrying those and I haven’t tried any,” he said, hardly a way to increase his sales. His excuse was No. 71 (see above).

So Colorado wines don’t taste like California wines. Nor should they, given the differences in soil, climate, growing seasons and that elusive quality known as terroir. They also don’t taste like New Zealand wines or French wines or even New York or Virginia or Argentina wines. That’s what makes them so special.

And you’ll find something special about all those other wines, too, which is why they are popular and why they sell in stores and restaurants. But if a popular restaurant in Boulder can devote half its wine list to Colorado wines, it seems restaurants on Colorado’s Western Slope, which produces 85 percent of the state’s wine grapes, might want to give the local wineries a try as well.

Unless, of course, you’re “spoiled,” for which I would suggest a little vacuum packing and storage in a cool, dry place.

There was quite a bit of applause but not much surprise when Tyrel Lawson of Kahil Winery of Grand Junction won Best of Show with his 2009 Mesa County Malbec last week at the 20th anniversary Colorado Mountain Winefest .

Winemaker Tyrel Lawson of Kahil Winery was busy pouring his Best of Show 2009 Malbec for his fans at the 2011 Colorado Mountain Winefest.

But every vintage is followed by another and no one expects Tyrel to rest too long on this wine. He also makes a mean white: his 2010 Snipes Mountain Pinot Gris earned a gold medal this year, and now we’re all waiting to see what the talented 25-year old will produce next.

The rage about hybrids – Hybrid grape varietals, the non-vinifera kind, are ho-hum in the Northeast and Midwest but something of a odd duck to most Colorado wine drinkers. But hybrids – and we’re not talking Prius here – were the talk of Winefest whenever state viticulturist Horst Caspari or sommelier and wine instructor Max Ariza hove into view.

Caspari, particularly, was taking the message to the masses in the early hours of the Festival in the Park. Clutching a wine bottle with the label carefully hidden, he was urging everyone he encountered to sample his mystery wine and try to guess its composition.

Full-bodied and rich with black fruit, spice and plum flavors, obviously a blend of some sort but the exact varietals were hard to nail. Merlot and Syrah? Cabernet Sauvignon plus the first two? Tempranillo and Syrah? No, no and close but no, laughed Caspari, finally showing his hand. Tempranillo, Syrah and Noiret, the latter a hybrid grape developed by Cornell University and released in 2006.

Caspari has been urging Colorado winemakers and grape growers to adopt cold-resistant hybrids and made this Noiret blend to show how a hybrid that on its own is, well, undrinkable comes to mind, can change completely when blended with the right grapes.

Meanwhile, Ariza, a popular culinary arts instructor at Johnson & Wales University in Denver, was preaching the hybrid gospel during a well-received seminar on lesser-known grapes. He put several wines in front of the attendees and was delighted to find most of them receptive to wines made from other-than-vinifera grapes.

Ariza loves to argue with winemakers that their main reason for not using hybrids is because the grapes are hard to sell to customers expecting the more-familiar European grapes.

“That may be true, but it’s all about education,” Ariza emphasized. “If you make a good wine and can get (the customer) to try it, they’ll like it. If it says ‘Colorado red wine,’ they won’t care that it’s a blend.” A fine example of that was the Baco Noir wine produced by winemaker Guy Drew of Cortez. The grapes were dry-farmed in the desolate pinyon/juniper mesa/canyon country of Yellow Jacket Canyon in southwest Colorado. The wine was similar to a Grenache, with berry, plum and hints of leather.

Ariza used the bottles for his seminar and gave the wine a high grade. “It’s good, and it shows the potential of this grape,” he said.

Surprise, it’s Lavendar! – The most-unexpected wine of the fest came from the talented Glenn Foster of Talon Wines, who produced a lavendar wine under his St. Kathryn’s Cellars label in Palisade. “You got to try this,” urged Foster, saying it took him six months of tinkering with the blends to get the flavors he wanted.

The rosé-based pale-magenta wine has a hint of lavendar on the nose and a similar pleasant blush of lavendar on the palate. Foster was careful in his application, making sure the lavendar was noticeable but not overwhelming. As one taster mentioned, “It’s really good if you’re a honey bee looking for a buzz.”

And the VIP tent, now in its third year and definitely one of the more-popular venues of the daylong Festival in the Park, was buzzing, too, thanks the lineup of wines and the matching menu conceived by Dan Kirby, Executive Chefs Wayne Smith and John St. Peter and the culinary arts students from Western Colorado Community College.

The lineup of 40 top Winefest wines included Alfred Eames’ 2009 Pinot Noir, Balestreri’s 2010 Sangiovese, Boulder Creek’s 2010 Chardonnay and Colterris 2010 Cabernet Franc. We told he’s talented and hard-working: Tyrel Lawson of Kahil Winery also makes wines for Colterris and Two Rivers Winery and Chateau.