With Mother’s Day, wedding season and assorted summer celebrations just around the corner, it seemed like a good time to recommend an affordable bubbly. This sparkling wine from France’s Loire Valley features chenin blanc, one of the region’s signature grapes, and is made in the traditional method, like Champagne.

   The people at Langlois know a thing or two about traditional-method sparkling wine: The estate is owned by Groupe Bollinger, as in the Champagne house of the same name. Under Bollinger, the Langlois estate is shifting its focus entirely to sparkling wine.

   This elegant bubbly, which sells for around $20, is fresh and a touch yeasty, with lemony fruit and a brioche note. There’s some salinity on the finish. The blend of the brut réserve is 60 percent chenin blanc and 20 percent each chardonnay and cabernet franc.