Forget special occasions. Most anytime is suitable for the sparkling wine known as prosecco. "It's a product you can drink at any moment of the day," said Lodovico Giustiniani of the fledgling Borgoluce Winery in Italy.

While I'm not about to advocate all-day quaffing, this lively wine has soared in popularity: U.S. imports of prosecco nearly doubled from 2005 to 2008, to more than 500,000 cases.

"The popularity, I believe, comes from the simplicity and refreshing character of good, clean proseccos," said Marc Mackondy, wine buyer for Buon Giorno in Lilydale. "Their bubbles are less focused and feel fatter on the palate [than champagne]. They pair wonderfully with many first courses, including salads.

"And, let's face it, compared to France, they're cheap. Also, the Bellini cocktail from Harry's Bar in Venice sure helped its global popularity."

I can vouch for the allure of that Harry's Bar staple, made with prosecco and fresh white-peach nectar. Indeed, prosecco mixed with all manner of fruit juices, from orange to pomegranate, generally proves eminently quaffable.

But Prosecco is so soft and vibrant that it's a pretty swell sipper on its own, especially at only about 11 percent alcohol and $10-$20 a bottle. "The Bellini is a fantastic product, a nice, pleasant aperitif," said Giustiani. "But you should drink prosecco plain if you want to feel the characteristic of the wine."

For Mackondy, those characteristics are "freshness, with hints of apple, pear and stone." Those qualities abound in the crisp, crackling Presto Prosecco Brut; the clean, focused Mionetto Brut, and the sexy, vibrant Santa Margharita Prosecco di Valdobbiadene. I also have thoroughly enjoyed Adami, Bisol, Zardetto and Zonin Extra Brut. Mackondy recommends Franco, Ruggeri, Faveri, Saccheto, Riondo and Carpene Malvoti.

But, as with most things Italian, label shopping is not as simple as all that. The highest, most reliable quality comes from Valdobbiadene and Conegliano. But the prosecco grape is now grown and produced throughout northeastern Italy, with very mixed success, as well as in Brazil, Australia and other regions.

Inevitably, problems have cropped up, particularly with an Austrian "Rich Prosecco" sold in a can (!) with Paris Hilton (!!) on the label. A judge ruled in October that the name had to be changed, and Italian producers are hoping that the European Union decrees that only wines from northern Italy can bear the prosecco name.

Proseccos made outside Italy's Veneto region "have little to do with the real article and more times than not taste like cheap pinot grigio with bubbles," said Mackondy. "If you're selective and stay to high-quality producers, you will be rewarded with great sparklers loaded with value."

Even if the occasion is not so special, perhaps even a mundane Monday.

Bill Ward • bill.ward@startribune.com Read Ward on Wine at startribune.com/blogs/wine.