Looking for a nice champagne that won’t break the bank? Feeling like the two – five dollar variety is just a tad too cheap for the special event you’re planning? This Italian bottled bubbly might be just what you’re looking for.

I have to admit it. I’m a bargain champagne shopper. It’s just not something I drink enough of to spend a lot of money on. And other than holidays and weddings, I rarely drink it straight. I’m more of a mimosa kind of girl.  However, a colleague of mine who works in the industry has mentioned it several times as an affordable yet elegant choice. So of course, I wanted to test drive it for all of you. (Hey, it’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.) After requesting a sample, I set out to select a collection of recipes that would put Zardetto through its paces, and still provide a fair taste analysis to the product. Here are the ones that finally made the cut, and how the whole thing went down.

1. Straight up: In fairness to Zardetto, I wanted to start with a basic test of the product before anything else touched my palette. The results? We found it to be crisp, light, and definitely not sweet. It had a suitable amount of tingle, and could even be considered slightly on the dry side.

2. In a French Kiss: I mentioned this recipe in my New Year’s cocktail and party article, but here it is again for those of you on the fly: 1 1/2 oz G'Vine French gin, 2 tsp agave nectar, 1 1/2 oz lemon juice, 4 oz chilled Zardetto Prosecco, 1 slice of orange, 1 Maraschino cherry. G’Vine is a product I’ve reviewed previously,  and found to be quite refreshing. So I was anxious to see how it worked in this particular champagne cocktail. My initial reaction? Definitely lighter than one might expect, yet not harsh. Fresh, sort of like an alcohol based version of Fresca. If I had to pick one word? Crisp. Definitely a cocktail for those who don't like drinks that are sweet and syrupy.

3. In a Mimosa: While I’m normally a basic orange juice and champagne combo girl, I decided to live on the edge this time and went with one part pineapple-orange juice, one part Zardetto Prosecco, and a tangerine garnish. The taste? At the ratio I used, the Zardetto blended in nicely with the juice and still maintained a bit of its own "snap". I'm sure you could go a little lighter on the juice to focus more on the flavor if you wanted to, since this bubbly, while affordable, is pricier than the regular bargain varieties.

While I haven’t had a chance yet to cook with this champagne, I’m hoping to give that a whirl very soon. Perhaps a champagne and mint raspberry jelly or chicken breasts in a cream and champagne sauce.   My overall personal verdict of Zardetto Prosecco? Worth the slight splurge for a special event, and still definitely within the affordable range. Kudos to this company!

The SRP from Zardetto's product rep is $11.99. Here's a link to a place where you can buy it online: http://www.shoppersvineyard.com/product_new.asp?pID=10343 . Happy sipping!