While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

Everything’s better with bubbles! December 31 is National Champagne Day.

It’s no coincidence that National Champagne Day falls on New Years Eve; the two are probably one of life’s more obvious pairings. In France (and New Orleans), the new year is ushered in with a lavish Réveillon feast where extravagant dishes like lobster, foie gras and escargot are served.

Because Champagne has long since been associated with celebrations, it’s no surprise it was, and still is, the drink of choice for the festivities. Since then, the tradition of toasting the year to come with Champagne can be found worldwide. But, not all countries can rightfully claim to be serving or producing Champagne.
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Ray Isle (@islewine on Twitter) is Food & Wine's executive wine editor. We trust his every cork pop and decant – and the man can sniff out a bargain to boot. Take it away, Ray.

Though there are plenty of drinks that have had New Year’s connotations over the years—mead, beer, mulled wine, you name it—the bubbly stuff, i.e. Champagne or sparkling wine, is really the spot-on gift if you happen to be headed out to a party or three.

The thing is, wine with bubbles ranges wildly in price; a bottle of 1998 Krug Clos d’Ambonnay will set you back about $2,000, whereas a bottle of André Cold Duck (no vintage on that one, strangely enough) will damage your finances to the tune of $4.50 or so. So, to make life easier, especially in this last-minute-what-do-I-do moment, here are some suggestions.
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5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

New Year's Eve is all about giving the ol' razzle dazzle: Sparkling garb, sparkling balls dropping, sparkling wine.

For the latter, many opt to toast to the New Year - and the subjective lyrics of "Auld Lang Syne" - with capital-C Champagne.

Daniel Lobsenz, the sommelier at Poste Moderne Brasserie in Washington DC, is one such appreciator of the razzle and dazzle of a bottle of bubbly - but it's a love-hate relationship, especially because Champagne tastes so darn exquisite.

Five Reasons To Not Like Champagne: Daniel Lobsenz
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So, the New Year's Eve shindig hosting has fallen to you. Your guests will likely expect Champagne or some analogue thereof. Now is not the time to defy expectation. Here are a few tips for getting a banging bottle of bubbly without breaking the bank.

Bubbles, bubbles - no toil, no trouble

- If you wanna go big with the Dom Perignon or vintage Veuve, do that for the first glass. Raise a toast, make a fuss - then switch to the less expensive (but just as delicious stuff).

- Less expensive, you say? Oui. It needn't be capital-C Champagne, which to be labeled as such, must come from the Champagne region of France.

There's some smashing stuff out there to be sure - and a side effect of climate change may be that Champagne grapes are yielding their tastiest, earliest crops in ages. Master sommelier Richard Betts swears by Champagne Krug as the "pinnacle" and says "Their entry-level Krug M.V. Cuvée is rich, round, complex and a great partner to food, family and friends."
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Ray Isle (@islewine on Twitter) is Food & Wine's executive wine editor. We trust his every cork pop and decant – and the man can sniff out a bargain to boot. Take it away, Ray.

The season of toasts is upon us, which means the season of buying truckloads of sparkling wine is here too. Not being a millionaire, I'm looking for bargains, and when it comes to bubbles right now, that means prosecco (from Italy) and cava (from Spain).

Generally speaking, prosecco is a touch fruitier, more peachy; cava is drier, with more of a citrus and green apple character. But both open with the requisite festive pop.
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5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

We're in the camp of thought that you should be drinking the sparkling stuff all year long, not just on New Year's. Lucky for us, Gary Vaynerchuk, the host of Wine Library TV, New York Times best-selling author and overall wine guru, gives his bubbly blessing.

Five "Under The Radar" Sparkling Wines: Gary Vaynerchuk
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It's not like you didn't know this day was coming. Same date, every year, as long as there's been a calendar - it's just that the 364 other planning days just happened to flap on by, and you're left with nary a bottle of bubbles in the fridge, and guests set to arrive within the next 12 hours.

You don't need excuses - you have us.

We've got recipes, hosting tips and everything you need to know about buying, speed chilling and opening Champagne to get through tonight.

Your mantra - revised slightly from Thanksgiving
Remember how we said "It's just a meal...it's just a meal...it's just a meal?" It worked then and it works now - "It's just a night." Unless you've been running around talking up the tremendous culinary adventure upon which you will personally sherpa your guests this evening, you're in the clear.

No one's got far-flung food ambitions for New Year's Eve. They want to be with friends and loved ones, sip something with bubbles in it, and eat simple things that allow them to drink more bubbles. If you wanna get schmancier than that with the menu - mazeltov. We encourage embracing the low bar.
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