When Lilly Bollinger, the grande dame of one of the great houses of Champagne, was asked when one should drink the sparkling wine she replied, "I drink it when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it -- unless I'm thirsty."

Light and effervescent, champagne crosses all culinary boundaries. Serve it as its bubbly self or as the base for a light cocktail at any time of day: think brunch mimosas, Kir Royale for a special lunch, classic champagne cocktail at sunset or to sip with desserts of dense chocolate cake or a selection of cheeses and fruit.

Cocktails based on sparkling wine are as old as viticulture. In the mid-1800s, the champagne cocktail was the toast in Paris, London, Vienna and New York City at dinner parties and soirees. It still is.

I'm using the term "champagne" loosely to refer to any good sparkling wine. Officially, only the wine produced in Champagne, France, which uses the process that generates natural bubbles inside the bottle, has a right to the name.

Prosecco and Asti, the Italian version of champagne, are produced in stainless steel tanks, which is a less expensive method. But for a fizzy cocktail, all that's needed is a sparkling wine that's not too dry and not too sweet. Brut (a semi-dry) champagne or Prosecco or Asti are all good choices. You don't need a top-of-the- line champagne when you're mixing it with something else. Save the Dom Pérignon for sipping straight.

These cocktails are incredibly versatile, a no-fuss toast to the busy holiday season. Reasonably priced domestic selections from Oregon and Washington are great choices that won't break the bank. Keep these simple tips in mind for a sparkling new year:

• Use chilled sparkling wine, a good one that you might drink straight, but not the most expensive.

• Chill the glass ahead of time.

• Pour the sparkling wine into a glass slowly, stopping every so often, to prevent it from bubbling over.