FEW WINES DELIVER more pleasure, or create more confusion, than sparkling rosés. Let's sort it out in time for you to enjoy a glass of some delicious pink bubbly with your sweetie on Valentine's Day.

The best sparkling rosés come from France and the U.S., and fall into two categories: There's champagne, and everything else. Champagne is better, and just about everything else is cheaper — often a lot cheaper. Unfortunately, some producers of the cheap stuff have casually appropriated the term "champagne," which has given rise to considerable acrimony in the wine biz. The French justifiably argue that the right to use "champagne" on a wine label should be theirs exclusively. That way, when consumers see "champagne" on a bottle, they can be certain that the wine inside came from the Champagne region, which is conveniently located in France.

But we digress. Practically no one would deny the appeal of a good, dry sparkling rosé. The wines are beautiful in pastel shades of pink and rose and salmon and copper, with festive cascades of tiny bubbles. They often have more fruit flavor than other sparkling wines, because they have a small amount of still red wine (generally pinot noir) blended into them. They should not be sweet, and if you see the word "Brut" on the bottle it will assure you that the wine is dry. Perhaps most surprisingly of all, dry sparkling rosés are a perfect complement to a wide variety of foods.

When faced with a grocer's shelf groaning under dozens of bottles of bubbly, it helps to know a few tricks for finding the good stuff. For starters, the better sparklers from outside the Champagne region will usually say "Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine" prominently on the label. If you look closely, you will also find "méthode champenoise" or "méthode traditionnelle" or "méthode classique," which means that the wine was fermented in its bottle (essential for higher quality). Here in the U.S., some producers simply say "fermented in this bottle" or "traditional method." That's a good thing.

Avoid sparkling wines that say "champagne" but are not from Champagne. "California champagne" is an oxymoron, and the phrase should be outlawed, as it has been in Oregon. The best California producers, such as Domaine Chandon, Domaine Carneros, Iron Horse, Mumm Cuvée Napa, Piper Sonoma, Roederer Estate and Schramsberg, will say "Sparkling Rosé" or "Brut Rosé" or occasionally "Blanc de Noir(s)." Technically, a blanc de noir should not be pink, but some very good ones are.

Excellent, inexpensive sparkling rosés are also made in the Loire Valley, and a handful of decent examples come from the Pacific Northwest. Good stuff until the real thing comes along. For once you have tasted a good brut rosé champagne, it will be difficult to settle for anything less. Virtually all the major champagne houses make a pink wine, and the best ones, such as Dom Perignon, Krug and Perrier Jouet Fleur de Rose, sell for $150 and up. But very fine examples can be had for considerably less. Not cheap, but we're talking Valentine's Day. Special occasion, n'est-ce pas!?

Brut rosé champagnes are made in both vintage and non-vintage styles. The vintage wines are the rarest, most expensive and hedonistic, but the non-vintage rosés, as with other champagnes, offer the best value. (See the accompanying list for some recommendations.)

With any sparkling wine, a certain amount of caution should be exercised when opening the bottle. Chill it to refrigerator temperature; the quickest way is to plunge it into a bucket of ice water for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the foil, then carefully undo the wire capsule. I like to keep a dish towel draped over it in case it jumps the gun. Gripping the cork through the towel, twist the bottle until you hear the whoosh of air escaping. Do this gently and you won't see the precious liquid spraying about the room. Use tall, flute-shaped champagne glasses if you have them; if not, find the narrowest, most vertical glass you can. This preserves the bubbles.

For food, think salty to begin with (olives, caviar, pretzels, dry sheep's-milk cheeses for example). Any rich seafood (crab, lobster or scallops) makes a splendid entrée. And you can keep drinking your bubbly right into dessert. The pretty cherry flavors you'll find there will work especially well with dark chocolate.

So go for it! Light some candles. Put Steve Tyrell on the stereo. And while you're at it, pour another glass of the pink stuff.

Bubble, bubble

Here are a dozen sparkling rosés sure to please your Valentine. Note that prices are approximate, vary widely and are frequently discounted, so shop around for the best buys.

• Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Noir Sparkling Wine ($10). The best budget pink sparkler in the country. Vibrant color, rich bubbles and a sweet, inviting bouquet. Toasty cherry fruit highlights a crisp, yeasty finish.

• Bouvet Rosé "Excellence" Sparkling Wine ($12). This French (Loire Valley) bubbly is made from cabernet franc rather than pinot noir. Bone dry and copper-colored, it delivers a lot of flavor for the price.

• Mumm Cuvée Napa Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Wine ($18). Mumm does a nice job with this fruity, forward chardonnay/pinot noir blend. Clean and flavorful, it's a classic California sparkling rosé.

• Roederer Estate Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine ($23). From Mendocino County comes this pale, coppery wine. Complex scents of apricot, spice and cinnamon lead into rich, satisfying flavors with a clean, crisp finish.

• Nicolas Feuillatte Premier Cru Brut Rosé Champagne ($30). For the price, Feuillatte makes killer champagne, fruity and full-flavored, with delicate rose-petal scents and a tangy bite.

• Guy Charlemagne Brut Rosé Champagne ($35). Very popular around town right now, especially by the glass. Though not a complex wine, its sweet, powerful fruit makes it a surefire palate-pleaser.

• Paul Bara Grand Rosé Brut Champagne ($40). Paul Bara runs this small, traditional house with his daughter, Chantale. They make lovely bubbly: fragrant, very dry and toasty, with a long, elegant finish.

• Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne ($60). A treasure! Delicate layers of fruit, clove and chocolate create a textured wine, austere and complex. For the quality, it is well-priced. Also available in half bottles.

• Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin 1995 Brut Rosé Champagne ($65). Clicquot invented pink champagne, and this vintage version showcases their bold, vivacious style. Lots of power, complex, toasty flavors, and a rich, yummy (that's a technical term) finish.

• Laurent-Perrier Brut Rosé Champagne ($65). Soft and sensual, with ripe flavors of sweet cherries and plenty of vanilla toast. It's a big, forward, flavorful bubbly.

• Gosset Brut Grand Rosé Champagne ($70). Gosset comes in a stunningly beautiful antique-style bottle, and the wine inside is just as good. Exotic scents of earth, spice, fruit and cocoa come together in a gorgeous, concentrated finish.

• Pol Roger 1993 Brut Rosé Champagne ($70). This vintage bottling shows amazing intensity of flavor. A fragrant, floral nose leads into concentrated cassis and currant fruit. Powerful and perfectly aged, it's the ultimate splurge.

Paul Gregutt is the author of "Northwest Wines" and a contributing editor to Wine Enthusiast magazine. His e-mail address is indelible@aol.com. Barry Wong is a Pacific Northwest magazine staff photographer.