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Tasty Alternatives To Champagne For Your New Year's Toast

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- We'll be ringing in 2018 in less than 24 hours. If you plan on toasting to the new year, more than likely your drink will be champagne.

If raising a glass of bubbly isn't for you, there are alternatives.

Co-Founder of Wheeling Forward and Wine on Wheels, Yannick Benjamin, stopped by with some options for toasting the new year. The best part? None of them will break the bank.

See below for some of Yannick's suggestions:

From Provence: Rose is always a pleaser.

  • Wine: Chateau de l'Escarelle Coteaux Varois Rose, 2016 - $17
  • About the region: Internationally celebrated for its uniquely pale and aromatic rosé wine, Provence is a wine region is the south east of France that is home to a diversity of flavorful wines, from fruity whites to dry floral rosés and powerful reds. Wines of Provence offer authenticity and casual elegance. A single sip will take you to France's iconic region, celebrated for its fine food and scenic lavender fields.
  • Performance in the US: Americans have adopted Wines of Provence rosé as their go-to choice, with nearly half of all French rosé consumed in the USA stemming from the region. Exports of Provence rosé increased by 47% in volume and 43% in value between 2015 and 2016
  • About the wine:
    • Grape: Grenache / Mourvèdre / Syrah / Cinsault
    • Nose of red berries. The mouth is round and ample, with an excellent length. This wine agrees marvelously with an apéritif and or a Southern cooking.

From Beaujolais: Always easy drinking

  • Wine: Moulin-à-Vent, Domaine des Rosiers, 2015 - $21
  • About the region: Beaujolais is a wine-producing region north of Lyon in France that produces high-quality wines that are very affordable.
    • It produces 98% red wines, made from the Gamay grape, which produces food-friendly, fruit-forward red wines that are easy to drink.
    • Beaujolais has 12 appellations, including BeaujolaisBeaujolais Villages and 10 CrusEach appellations displays a different aspect of Beaujolais' terroir – each has a different personality.
  • 2017 performance in the US: Beaujolais is getting lots of attention from US wine trade and journalists due to its excellent performance: +25% in sales in 2017 compared with 2016
  • About the wine: A garnet color with purplish tints. This wine is characterized by intense dark berry aromas (blackcurrants, blackberries) with floral scents of peonies, complemented by notes of spice. Its tannins have great finesse, giving the wine power and elegance. Superb length.

From Wines of Argentina: for a little more body and warming

  • Wine: Proemio Petit Verdot Reserve 2015 - $19.99
  • About Argentina wines: Argentina has gained a lot of popularity in the USA, is now famous for its world-class Malbec and has transformed how the world perceives this grape. Yet, Argentina also has much more to offer. It has a big diversity of terroirs which allows its producers to play with various grape varieties and produce a wide range of wine styles. Malbec only represents 20% of total vineyards in Argentina, showing that the country has many more wines to share with the world, and Americans are now ready to discover the rest of Argentina's offer.
  • About the wine: As an example of this diversity, we have here a Petit Verdot wine from the Proemio winery. The wine received an award during this year's Argentina Wine Awards, the most influential Argentine wine competition in Latin America. It has an intense ruby red color and combines complex aromas of black fruit with notes of spices. The mouth-feel is ample with good structure, silky tannins and a crisp acidity. Captivating wine with a long finish. At $20/bottle, this wine is an excellent value and is sure to impress your guests this holiday season.
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