By G.M. “Pooch” Pucilowski

Once New Year’s is over, you may find some of your favorite champagnes and sparkling wines priced to move at your local wine shop. Domaine Chandon’s 1999 étoile Brut ($35) is worth seeking out—at any price. This sparkling wine was aged sur lees since 1998, which means it stayed in contact with the yeast for a minimum of five years. It has a beautiful Tuscan gold color and a toasty/yeasty nose with overtones of vanilla. A nice creaminess fills the mouth with a slightly sweet, soft finish.

Another sparkler worth trying: Chandon Riche ($17). This extra-dry, nonvintage wine has a slight peachy color and an appealing, very faint yeasty nose. The dancing of bubbles in the mouth accompanies a soft sweetness and a velvet texture in the finish. (Incidentally, extra-dry wines are sweeter than brut-style sparklers.)

And for those long, cold winter nights, here are some reds you’ll want to curl up with:

Turner Road 2002 Shiraz (Lodi). Nice packaging makes this wine seem more expensive than it actually is. It has an intense, bright-red color, a peppery nose and lots of tannins that give the wine a full, rounded flavor that is not drying. Shiraz is what Australians call the Syrah grape, and many American producers are adapting that name to their Syrah wines. $11

Goundrey Offspring 2002 Shiraz (Western Australia). This wine has lots of spice and cloves in the nose, a big reddish color and silky tannins in the mouth. The spice and bright fruit carry through to the finish. $15

Goundrey Offspring 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon (Western Australia). The aroma has a nice mix of berries and spice, and the full mouth feeling is soft and balanced yet with a sense of power. $15

Carol Shelton 2002 Rocky Reserve Zinfandel (Rockpile Road Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley). This classic example of a California Zin has big, luscious flavors of blueberries and blackberries. Close your eyes and think about spreading this on your toast in the morning. That’s jam power. $32