One of the least understood wine products is that stuff with bubbles that we typically serve on celebratory occasions.

For one thing, many people still refer to it as champagne with a lower-case c as if it were a generic term that applies to all beverages that have (a) some alcohol and (b) effervescence. But Champagne, with a capital C, is a district in France whose only product is one of the most difficult wines in the world to craft.

Secondly, as celebratory as this product is and as often as it is served before dinner, it is probably better served with food than are many of today’s overblown white wines with their higher alcohols.

Moreover, most top-rate bubblies are hard to appreciate when first tasted. For some people, this is a love-or-hate potable.

Some find anything sparkling to be sublime, a liquid worth savoring daily if not more often, to serve with or without food, one to be lavished with the highest of praise.

Others detest it. My father used to say he didn’t like the way it felt in his mouth. And years ago at a dinner party where the hostess had poured a great Champagne with the first course, smoked trout, the woman seated next to me asked, “Want mine?”

With the quickness of a point guard, I accepted her offer before she had a chance to ask someone else. She explained, “I can’t taste anything in Champagne. Why don’t they make chardonnay with bubbles? I might like that.”

That’s another of the mystical qualities of Champagne and many other sparkling wines: the fact that it is usually a fairly subtle wine, one I compare more to Debussy than Berlioz.

For one thing, top-rate bubbly is a product of grapes harvested early in the ripening cycle, long before blowsy flavors creep in to mask the delicate nuances. A bubbly made the way the lady at the dinner suggested, as traditional chardonnay with bubbles, would be an overblown, less-than-delicate drink that would be coarse and clumsy. That’s because the bubbles would deliver so much of the over-ripe flavors that the palate would be overwhelmed with too much of the grape’s “fruit” flavors as well as alcohol, making the drink overpowering.

What makes Champagne and its cousins so intriguing is that its delicacy can be expanded and broadened by time, either aging the wine in the bottle on its yeast lees before its final corking or “on the cork,” in cool conditions.

Classic bubbly is best made using the complex French methode champenoise process. This is a time-consuming, arduous process that takes not only a lot of technical skill but also much intuition. Eileen Crane, wine maker for the sublime Domaine Carneros, just completed her 30th harvest making sparkling wine, and in all that time, she points out, “I’ve only made 30 wines. You get only one chance a year.”

To be sure, this is similar to other wines, but with bubbly the window of opportunity to make the proper decisions is rather narrow.

Despite the fact that California has many hundreds of wineries, there are only a tiny handful that specialize in sparkling. Among them:

• Gloria Ferrer: Wine maker Bob Iantosca, using special clones of chardonnay and pinot noir, is making some of the most balanced bubblies around. I especially love his Blanc de Noirs.

• Schramsberg: This Napa Valley property’s Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs remain stellar wines.

• J: This stylish Russian River house specializes in chardonnay-based sparkling wines with real personality.

• Domaine Chandon: A project of Champagne house Moet & Chandon, it was founded in Napa Valley three decades ago and has made a number of fine efforts including its top-of-the-line wine called étoile.

• Domaine Carneros: Founded by Champagne’s Taittinger, the winery’s Brut is sophisticated, and its all-Chardonnay La Reve a spectacular hit.

• Mumm Napa: Founded by the French producer of the same name, this Napa Valley house makes slightly more spicy and deeply flavored wines like its Blanc de Noirs.

• Roederer Estate: Another French-founded project, named after the parent company, this Mendocino property makes wines that are a bit drier and more complex than some listed here.

• Scharffenberger: A Mendocino County project that makes a richer style of wine, notably the Blanc de Blancs.

• Iron Horse: A family-owned property in Green Valley of Sonoma County, it makes a wide array of limited-release wines, each superb. The pinot noir-based Wedding Cuvée is a delight.

• Korbel: A western Russian River producer that of late has made great strides to improve quality. An excellent value-priced wine, notably the Blanc de Noirs.

Prices for most of the above California houses’ bubblies are between $18 and $30; a few of the more prestige wines run a lot higher.

Wine of the Week: Nonvintage Adami Prosecco, Garbel ($15) — This sparkling Italian wine is a delightful alternative to Champagne. It has an aroma of delicate fruit with a faint almond note and a soft, pleasing entry. It would work nicely with a wide array of simpler foods, or superb as an aperitif. Imported by Dalla Terra Imports, Napa.

Dan Berger resides in Sonoma County. Berger publishes a weekly newsletter on wine and can be reached at danberger@Vin tageExperiences.com.