For an activity that brings so much pleasure, drinking wine has an awful lot of rules. Red wine with beef or pork, but not with fish. No white wine after Labor Day. Okay, I made that last one up, but you know what I mean.

One of the goofier wine "guidelines" is drinking Champagne only to celebrate. At least every other time I order Champagne at a restaurant, a waiter smiles coyly and asks what the special occasion is. Um, how about that it’s Tuesday?

I can sort of understand this thinking. Champagne is a little pricey to drink every day, but you don’t have to nuke your bank account for a bubbly treat. For price and taste, I like Italian sparklers. Correction: Love them.

Italian bubblies can be just as delightful and complex as most Champagnes, which are made from a postage stamp size region in France, and they often cost less than a third as much.

Chances are you’ve had some of Italy’s most popular spumante, Prosecco, made from a grape by the same name. Proseccos, produced in the Veneto region way up the calf of Italy’s boot, tend to be softer and more easy going than Champagnes. Which is also why they’re perfect for Mimosas, the quintessential Sunday brunch cocktail that when done right (fresh squeezed orange juice and Prosecco, not Champagne), is sublime.

This article appears in Feb 17-23, 2011.