A CHAMPAGNE TOAST; RING IN THE MILLENNIUM WITH THE BUBBLY.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

It's down to the wire - and you still haven't purchased champagne or sparkling wine to ring in the year 2000. You're not alone. According to a survey by Domaine Ste. Michelle, 85 percent of people plan to buy their sparkling wine just days before the millennium, notes Kari Leitch, the Washington-based winery's communications manager.

But it's not too late, say local wine merchants. Granted, you may not be able to get a special champagne bottle you've settled on - such as the $225 Dom Perignon Champagne Keepsake package that includes a sterling silver cork holder - but there are plenty of excellent options in a variety of price categories ranging from inexpensive to expensive.

The champagne shortage hyped earlier in the year hasn't materialized. Despite the higher-than-usual demand this year, most wine shops still have good supplies. ``To date, we haven't run out of champagne, and we don't expect to,'' says David Breitstein, owner of Duke of Bourbon in Canoga Park.

``People have been buying champagne throughout this past year, but since Nov. 1 sales have skyrocketed. It's been a major boom to the entire champagne industry, with a dramatic increase in sales - at least 10 times greater than in a normal year.''

Sales at his wine shop are up 30 percent to 40 percent this holiday season, says Breitstein, who thinks they been driven by the high interest in champagne for millennium celebrations as well as gifts. ``We anticipate being busier between now and New Year's Eve than ever in the shop's 33-year history.''

``Sales of champagne are going absolutely crazy - and there is plenty of nonvintage available,'' says Dennis Overstreet, proprietor of the Wine Merchant in Beverly Hills. However if consumers want to indulge in something expensive and premium, some champagnes such as Cristal, Dom Perignon, Le Grande Dame and the Perrier-Jouet flower bottle will be in short supply, he adds.

Overstreet advises buyers to seek the best value for the money. For instance, if you plan to spend a good chunk of money, look for a 1990 vintage champagne, as it is the best in recent years. ``Just behind 1990 in overall quality are 1989 (rich and ripe in style) and 1988 (more classic and balanced),'' notes a recent issue of the Wine Spectator. If you are paying $100-plus for a 1992 Don Perignon, or $200-plus for a 1993 Cristal, those are not outstanding vintages of those champagnes, cautions Overstreet.

Sales at the Wine Merchant have also increased more than 30 percent this holiday season - and last year was a good year, notes Overstreet, who says it appears that consumers are waiting until the last minute to buy.

Earlier in the year, people thought they were going to be traveling or going out, but now people are staying at home - and some are having small parties - and they're now buying champagne.

Although there's a sales frenzy and tremendous demand, Overstreet has not increased his champagne prices - and to date he hasn't seen price gouging.

The most popular champagnes with Duke of Bourbon consumers have been Veuve Clicquot Brut non-vintage ($37.50), Schramsberg ($24.99 to $65), Iron Horse ($19.99 to $45) and Taittinger (from $37 to $200 a bottle), says Breitstein. At the high end, it appears that Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne ($180) is the reigning king, he adds.

``People are buying one great bottle since they are staying home, says Ray Wolkoff, manager of the Flask Liquor Inc. in Studio City.

Bottom line, says Paul Smith, owner of the Woodland Hills Wine Co.: ``If you can't find your favorite champagne, there will be other substitutes (at all levels) that are just as good but may not be as well-recognized by the general public.''

When it comes to buying champagne, figure a bottle will serve three people (8 ounces or two glasses each). However, if you are drinking throughout the evening and will be eating plenty, you may want to buy enough for a bottle p er person so you don't run out.

Be sure to chill champagne well prior to opening. Figure about six hours in the refrigerator. For quicker chilling - in half an hour - place the bottle in a bucket filled with half ice and half water.

Some wine connoisseurs prefer serving the champagne in flutes (to preserve the bubbles), while others use white wine glasses.

Be aware that ``there is no American champagne. Real champagne is made only in the Champagne region of France,'' note Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, Wall Street Journal wine columnists. However, ``many of the best American 'champagnes' have much in common with the real thing and are made in much the same way as champagne.''

Here is the bubbly that the wine merchants and experts we queried recommended for New Year's Eve celebrations. Prices are for a 750-milliliter bottle and may vary from store to store. When buying, keep in mind that the super-premium champagnes from different producers have their own distinctive styles, ranging from light and even fruity to heavy and serious.

$10 and under

Seaview N.V. Brut, Methode Champenoise from Australia, $7.99: crisp, lively fresh, inexpensive sparkling wine, good value (Breitstein).

An 2000 Saumur Brut, Methode Champenoise, $9.95: from the Loire Valley in France, crisp with a slight biscuity bouquet; outstanding value for the price. (Overstreet).

Zardetto Prosecco Vino Spumante Aromatico Di Qualita Prosecci Brut, $9.99: spicy nose, dry finish. (Wolkoff).

Bouvet Signature Brut France, $7.99: from the Loire Valley, a dry sparkling white wine reminiscent of champagne from the Champagne region of France (Smith).

Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut, $9: Spanish sparkling wine that is nutty, classy and a bit rich (Gaiter and Brecher).

$25 and under

Iron Horse Vrais Amis 1994, Sonoma County Sparkling Wine, $19.99: complex, rich with a long yeasty finish; or Schramsberg 1996 Blanc de Noirs, Napa Valley Champagne, $24.99: a terrific wine, very flavorful, rich (Breitstein).

Pacific Echo (produced by Scharffenger) Brut 1996 Anderson Valley, $24: has a little richness (not quite as tart as the Saumur, above) and creaminess; a hint of vanilla and an aftertaste of a delicate wild raspberry or strawberry (Overstreet).

Chandon Cuvee 2000 Napa County, $19.99; excellent value, very nice, delicious, elegant, dry full-flavored California sparkling wine (Wolkoff, Gaiter and Brecher).

Agrapart & Fils Champagne, Blancs de Blanc, from Avize, France, Grand Cru, $19.99: very toasty and yeast aromas; wonderful full mouth feel with very tiny bubbles and lasting flavors (Smith).

If you want to splurge

J. Schram 1993 Napa Valley Champagne, $65: the flagship of the Schramsberg winery; elegant wine with classic champagne flavors (Breitstein).

Grand Siecle Brut 1990 Laurent Perrier, from Champagne region, $109: probably 60 million bubbles in this bottle (40 million in non-vintage and 50 million in vintage Champagnes) and worth every cent; has smell of freshness; yeasty quality and then explosion of different berries (Overstreet).

Louis Roederer Cristal 1993 Brut, $245: great, elegant Champagne from France (Wolkoff).

Champagne Bollinger R.D. 1985 Extra Brut, $129.99: toasty, rich with an incredible complexity, spectacular from Ay, France (Smith).

Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill 1988, $90: a great value even though expensive; far better than champagnes that are $250-$300 (Gaiter and Brecher).

Less spray, more play

Now that you have a terrific bottle of champagne to ring in the millennium, what's the most expedient way to open it without exploding it and spraying it everywhere or blinding someone with the cork?

Make sure the wine is well chilled (at least four to six hours in the refrigerator) before attempting to open it. It should be 40 to 45 degrees F.

Point the cork end of the bottle away from you. Remove the foil wrapper.

Cover the top of the bottle with a heavy towel or cloth.

Untwist the wire cage but do not remove it (some experts remove the wire cage). Keep a thumb on top of the bottle to prevent an unexpected pop of the cork.

Holding the bottle at a 45 degree angle, gently twist the cork (with its wire cage) in one direction (holding the cork down with steady pressure) and the bottle in the opposite direction. GENTLY ease the cork from the bottle with a delicate pop or hissing sound, not a loud bang. The more momentum you have when the cork pops, the more effervescence and champagne you lose.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

PHOTO (1 -- color) no caption (bottle and glasses with background fireworks)

David Crane/Staff Photographer

(2) no caption (champagne being poured into glass

J. Kyle/Detroit Free Press

BOX: Less spray, more play (see text)