It’s that time of year again when we look at the top wines being produced by various wine regions and grape varieties around the globe.

As we approach the silly season, it would be remiss to not to look at one of the world’s favorite tipples, Prosecco. Although it is as easily well-known as Champagne and almost as recognizable, Prosecco is well aware of what it is and rarely tries to compete with its big French relative.

The opposite, in fact, Prosecco relishes in the fact that it is the little brother, free to be as playful, easy and breezy as it likes with none of the heavy weight or responsibility wrapped up in Champagne. The latter is permanently locked in a battle of wanting to be considered as both sophisticated and expensive, while still being affordable.

Prosecco, on the other hand, has no such existential crisis – it knows what it is, and doesn’t try to pretend otherwise.

As a result, the 10 best Proseccos, as listed below, are all ridiculously affordable, with the most expensive coming in at $31. Although it’s hard to say definitively but there cannot be many – if any – other regions that compete quite so hard or so successfully when it comes to price versus quality – that wine question also has an aggregated critics score of 91 points.

It is worth mentioning that all of the Proseccos listed have a score of at least 90, with most being 91 or above, proving Prosecco really must be one of the world’s best value regions where neither price or quality is compromised.

It’s also worth mentioning that although one or two producers do have multiple offerings, for the most part, there’s a good clutch of producers all competing with similarly priced – and similarly scored – wines.

So in the run-up to Christmas, at a time when cost of living around the world is biting hard, great, easily affordably Prosecco could not come at a better time, so whose made it onto this year’s list?

The Best Proseccos on Wine-Searcher:

First up is the Vigneto della Riva di San Floriano Superiore by Nino Franco, an estate that consistently makes an appearance on these lists for light popular bubbles that aren’t without complexity. The Vigneto della Riva di San Floriano Superiore consistently scores rave reviews, having an aggregate of 92 points from across 38 critics. Falstaff described it as having notes of “tropical fruit, hazelnuts, lemon zest and a hint of blood orange, with a creamy echo”. High praise indeed, and all for $17.

Second is the Gran Cuvee del Fondatore Motus Vitae Brut Nature from Bortolomiol. Again extremely popular with a score of 91 points across 15 critics, Falstaff described it as having notes of both tropical fruit and yeast pastry while still retaining elegance. Again, this wine is extremely well-priced at just $21.

In third spot is the Dry Vigneto Giardino Rive di Colbertaldo by Adriano Adami. A single-vineyard Valdobbiadene DOCG, the Vigneto Giardino has a score of 91 points rounded up from 34 critics and has been noted for its orchard fruit notes and interplay between elegance and sweetness while having – according to Falstaff – a dry, crystal clean finish. Again, all for $21.

Number four is another wine from Nino Franco, this time their Nodi Brut with an average score of 91 points. Wine Enthusiast have described this wine as having “an elegant perlage” accompanied by ripe pear, peach and lemon drop candy. Again, this crowd-pleaser is available for $20.

In fifth place is the Dosaggio Zero from Azienda Agricola Ca’ dei Zago, which is easily the most expensive wine on this list, coming in at a still very modest price of $31, although it is perhaps less widely available than some of the others.

Its slightly inflated price-point is down to its production – the wine is made via Metodo Classico and is then bottle fermented. The resulting wine according to Wine Enthusiast exhibits notes of “Bartlett pear, Anjou pear, citrus zest and flinty mineral,” and again boasts an average score of 91 points.

Number six is the Vecchie Viti Brut by Ruggeri which, again, is a winner with the critics scoring an average of 90 points across 21 critics. The wine has been glowingly described as a “gorgeous sparkler” with “heady scents” of hawthorn and pear. The wine is also made from old vines which tend to give a greater depth, and all for an average price of $22.

Lucky number seven is yet another sparkler from Nino Franco, their Primo Franco, again rated extremely highly with a score of 90 points across 40 critics. This popular tipple has been described by Wine Enthusiast as being “lively and vibrant from the first pour, this wine shows why Nino Franco is a leading Prosecco producer”. Awash with notes of Pink Lady apples, tropical fruits and candied ginger, this wine strikes gold all for $17.

In eighth place is the Case Paolin Asolo Prosecco Superiore, which is among the least widely reviewed, garnering a score of 91 points from a mere five critics. However, what Wine Enthusiast has said has been gushing. “Dry and savory, this stunning sparkler offers enticing scents of hawthorn and pear with mineral whiffs of wet stone,” and all for $17.

Ninth is another wine from Adriano Adami, this time their Col Credas Rive di Farra di Soligo Brut. Again, this wine has been highly rated with a score of 90 points across 22 critics. Falstaff have evocatively described it as “Luminous yellow with silver reflections. On the nose inviting hints of apple, peach and some iodine notes.” Again, this wine comes in at an extremely reasonable price of $21.

Finally, rounding up this year’s top ten best Proseccos, is the Col Vetoraz Millesimato Dry which has a score of 90 points from across 14 critics. Described by Falstaff as having crisp notes of fresh apple and white peach, as well as great composition while coming in at the bargain price of $16.

In a nutshell, the entire list of best Proseccos can be bought for $203. In the equivalent list for Champagne, the cheapest wine in the top 10 is Louis Roederer’s Cristal Millesime Brut at $370.

So there it is, for those struggling through the cost of living crisis but don’t want to skimp on quality for Christmas, look no further, Prosecco is your friend.