Summer is a great time to drink sparkling wines, and luckily, they are now available from all regions of the world and at many different price points. While most people drink sparkling wines only on special occasions, they are now widely used as an alternative to still wines for everyday use. Thanks to their generally high acidity levels, sparkling wines are easy to pair with a variety of different dishes and cuisines.

Arguably the most well-known and still the preferred bubbly is Champagne. Thanks to stricter legislation, only sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France can use this name. In the old days, many products labeled their product as "champagne" but the category is now wisely called sparkling wines.

Before getting into the specific wine regions and their sparkling wine offerings, it is important to differentiate between the different styles of sparkling wine. Champagne and a number of other high-quality sparkling wines are made using the traditional method with secondary fermentation taking place in the bottle. This long and elaborate process can be time-consuming and costly, but makes without a doubt the finest sparkling wines -- both in terms of the aromas and flavors they present as well as the perlage and aging ability of the wines.

There are very strict rules governing both the viticultural and vinification techniques for making sparkling wines using the "traditional" method. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the principal grape varieties used to make Champagne in France and in many other parts of the world. In Champagne, Pinot Meunier is also used.

A second method, called the tank method or the Charmant method, is where secondary fermentation takes place in a tank. This method is used for many sparkling wines that can be sold at a cheaper price point. When making any sparkling wine, the key is the quality of the base wine that you begin with.

A third method is known as the Asti method, used to make the very well-known Asti Spumante sparkling wine from Piedmont, Italy. This wine is made from the muscat a petits grains grape. The process involves preserving the must at 0 degrees Celsius for a period of time.

Producers use one of these methods when making their sparkling wines based on the grape varieties they have at hand, their unique traditions and the kind of product they want to make.

For example, a sparkling wine made in the Veneto region from the Prosecco grape has almost become a household word here in United States. Prosecco is made using the Charmant method. This light fruity wine has taken America by storm thanks to the marketing efforts of firms like Mionetto and Zardetto. Smaller producers and importers, such as Dancing Bear Cellars in New York City, have their own private-label Prosecco. Eric Munson, Dancing Bear's founder, wanted to add a sparkling wine to his portfolio and had a producer from the Veneto make him one. "It's a top seller," he said in a phone interview, and "a perfect way to begin a meal."

There are other producers in Italy who make sparkling wine using the traditional method with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. They generally come from two different areas in Italy -- Lombardy and Trentino. Franciacorta is the name of a region in Lombardy well-known for its sparkling wines. Many producers come from that area. A new company has been created in the United States, called (you guessed it) Franciacorta, to showcase some of these brands. One large concern, Ferrari, makes traditional-method sparkling wines from the Trentino.

The Spanish have also been making sparkling wines for many years. They make Cava from indigenous varieties such as Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. Cava is made in five different provinces in Spain, although 90 percent of it comes from Penedes. Big producers dominate the Cava scene such as Freixenet and Codorniu. According to Esteban Cabezas Méndez, director of the Spanish Wine Academy in Madrid, "Cava is selling better than ever. It has the quality of excellent sparkling wine but at a most affordable price, which is quite an advantage in these difficult economic times. Data proves that people are not giving up on wine, they are just more price-conscious." While Cava can be a more affordable choice, there are also Cavas capable of aging for many years such as those of a producer called Gramona.

Germany also makes some sparkling wines, known as Sekt. There are two parts to the market: generic Sekt made from a base wine that could come from Italian, French or German grapes; and Deutscher Sekt, which must be made from German base wine. This is usually made form Riesling, Pinot Gris or Pinot Blanc. Many German wines have high acidity and thus the country can produce some elegant sparklers, although this is a very small part of the market. Most wines are made using the tank method and are inexpensive.

Wine producers in the Americas are getting into the act as well. Sparkling wines from California, such as Korbel and Schramsberg, have been well-known for decades, but other areas in the United States are also making sparkling wines, such as the New Mexican producer Gruet. This delicious and well-priced bubbly is everywhere. Many European sparkling wine concerns have bought property in the United States and have been making great sparkling wines here as well.

Brazilian brand Miolo is also catching on with those in the know, such as Mollie Battenhouse, wine director of Maslow 6's new wine shop in the Tribeca area of New York. Mollie says she is a big fan and keeps it in stock in the store. "Clients are always interested in this wine," she said at a recent tasting.

Serving sparkling wine can be fun both in terms of the possible food pairings as well as the various accoutrements one can use while serving sparklers. The most important issue is glassware. There are a number of glasses for sparkling wine, depending on what type of sparkling wine you are serving. The flute, a tall and narrow glass, is great with traditional-method sparkling wines. A demi-flute or slightly shorter version will also work with those sparklers made using the tank or Charmant method. The larger cup version of the glass works with sparkling wines made from very aromatic grapes such as Asti Spumante. It helps the aromas to unfold whereas a taller glass would accentuate the first grapey aromas from muscat. All of the great glassware makers, including Riedel, Spiegelau and Zwiesel, produce a variety of glasses. Glasses can also be found in the Wine Enthusiast catalog, always a fun resource for wine accoutrements.

Generally, sparklers are not decanted but a gorgeous ice bucket can do wonders for your table along with tongs to help take off the capsule. These effete objects can be a great gift idea.

If you want to test your aroma sensibilities to wines in general and sparkling wines in particular, you can buy Le Nez du Vin, an aroma kit that every wine geek covets.

Whatever your price point, aroma profile or purpose, there is a world of sparkling wine available to meet your needs. If Champagne is too costly, look to the United States or to England. Yes, even England is making sparkling wines. Global warming has had some positive side effects.