Think champagne and the word “cheers” can’t be far behind. Champagne is the happiest, most celebratory of all drinks. It’s there for engagements, weddings, births and new beginnings. Why, with all that giddy taste, champagne is nearly a party unto itself.

It is also the traditional drink for New Year’s Eve. The very sound of a cork popping into the air and the concomitant overflow of bubbles are indicative of the outpouring of hope we try to feel at midnight of the first day of the new year. Resolutions, promises and optimism: That’s the stuff of champagne. “Drink me,” it says from the most slender of wine glasses, and you will be dauntless. A miraculous prophecy, indeed.

So much so, that it stands to reason that the recipe for making champagne began in the 17th century with a French Benedictine monk named Pierre Perignon. Dom Perignon called champagne “mad wine” because he could not prevent the refermentation that created bubbles late in the process of winemaking. To him, the sparkles in the wine were a mistake.

But some of us suspect he knew exactly what he was doing. After all, he did call out to his fellow monks: “Come quickly, I’m drinking stars!” That hardly sounds like disappointment.

In late centuries, the stars – the ones we associate with Hollywood – helped give champagne a whimsical and wonderful reputation. Marilyn Monroe took a bath in 350 bottles of it. Noel Coward said he drank it for breakfast. “Doesn’t everyone?” he added. And, in a secret dashboard compartment of his Aston Martin, James Bond keeps a stash of chilled Bollinger Grande Annee 1988. With two glasses, of course. Cheers, indeed.

Ah, champagne. It percolates with such secret powers.

But how do you know which champagne to trust this effervescent mission to on New Year’s Eve? After all, there’s champagne, and there’s champagne.

The most important fact to know is that the sparkling wines made in Champagne, France, are the only ones that can properly be called champagne. Many people believe it is impossible to be disappointed with a true champagne, and its tiny bubbles are, indeed, coveted by the French. A bottle of Dom Perignon might cost $120, but that buys you 49 million bubbles, a figure calculated by a scientist whose test tubes clearly had multiple uses.

It used to be that champagne was the private domain of the aristocracy. It’s true, a bottle can still set you back a paycheck, but it doesn’t have to.

Not according to Victor Van Keuren, the wine guy at Sawyer Specialties in Southwest Harbor and sommelier at the Castine Inn. He says go ahead and splurge on the Dom Perignon, but in his trained opinion, the old DP is overrated.

He recommends champagnes by Krug and Bollinger, both of which fall into a similar price range but more cleverly satisfy the classic French standard for an earthy, yeasty, toasty flavor. Other vinters recommended Perrier-Jouet Champagne ($109) and Pol-Roger Brut ($40).

Spending a little more money to spring for the French versions can definitely be worth it. But you can also have a perfectly fine champagnelike experience with American sparkling wines, many of which are overseen by French wineries and cost between $20 and $30. Try a Roderer Anderson Valley Brut ($18) or the Mumm Cuvee Napa Brut ($20) for instance, and you won’t be disappointed. They are slightly brighter than their sophisticated French counterparts, but no less exciting.

Van Keuren also recommended two other California favorites: the buttery Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut ($15) and the formidable Iron Horse Brut ($30). Last summer, Van Keuren found that many of his customers greatly enjoyed Spanish sparkling wines such as Cristalino Brut Cava ($10).

Recently, Jason Randall, who runs the wine section of John Edward’s Market in Ellsworth, recommended a $10 bottle of Saint-Hilaire, a French blanc de blancs, and the experience was sweet and comely. He also recommended a $17 bottle of Mumm Brut Prestige, made in California by the French producer. This one is dry and richer but not as festive as the Bossard-Thuaud Brut, which we found in a Bangor market for $16.

Naturally, much about champagne depends upon your desire for sweetness. If sweet is what you like, maybe you would like a bottle of Korbel or Tott’s, both of which are available right there next to the beer and wine coolers. But it may also be worth bearing in mind the several levels of sweetness associated with sparkling wines. The scale goes from extra brut (the driest), to brut (very dry and the style of most French champagnes), extra dry (slightly sweet), sec (medium sweet) and demi-sec (sweet).

Whatever purchase you make, if you are serious about good quality, look for the term “methode champenoise” on the label. This means the sparkling wine was made in the traditional French method. It may cost a bit more, but Van Keuren says it’s worth it.

For New Year’s, Van Keuren will be drinking a Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label Brut – “Always the same, always good, always very French,” he assures. But he cautioned that you could do worse than a bottle of Freixinet Cordon Negro, which is carried by most food markets for under $10. “For what it is,” he said, “it’s great.”

Champagne and sparkling wine suppliers

The stores listed here stock the best selections of champagne and sparkling wine, and are my favorite places to shop for libations. They also have very helpful and informative wine sellers on site. For less expensive sparkling wines, check out the beer and wine section of your local market.

Burby & Bates on Oak Street in Orono

Blue Hill Wine Shop on Main Street in Blue Hill

Sawyer’s Specialties on Main Street in Southwest Harbor

Liquor Locker Inc. on Seal Cove Road in Southwest Harbor

John Edward’s Market in Ellsworth

Rooster Brother on Main Street in Ellsworth

Welch’s Beverage and Tobacco House on Hammond Street in Bangor