Marques de Gelida Cava 2000 Brut Exclusive Reserva

Cava, the Spanish sparkling wine, is one of the specialties of the Penedes region near Barcelona, and in Barcelona, late-night wine bars called xampanyerias pour bubblies from Spain (and, for big spenders, from France) until the wee hours. Spain’s best cavas offer a price-quality ratio that’s hard to beat.

Shh! Bring this bottle of Marques de Gelida estate-bottled cava to a party and nobody will guess that you paid something on the order of $10 for such a dry, subtle sparkler. The blend of Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada and Chardonnay is lively and refreshing and the packaging has a certain bling factor.

At this price, you can afford to pop those corks with abandon. Bring on the oysters, the smoked salmon, the Marcona almonds and any other pretty little hors d’oeuvres you can rustle up.

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Quick swirl

Region: Penedes

Price: About $10

Style: Crisp and dry

Food it goes with: Oysters, smoked salmon, cocktail nuts, hors d’oeuvres

Where you find it: Mel & Rose Liquor & Deli, (323) 655-5557; Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454 and (800) 76WINEX; the Wine House in Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731.

-- S. Irene Virbila