Pre-Funk On NYE At These Free Tastings

The Wino will be passed out cold after hitting up a long list of free sparkling wine tastings earlier in the day. Thanks to my buddy Leslie Seaton, aka @FreshPickedSeattle for her fine weekly listings of free wine tastings around the city. This week, there's a half a dozen options for sipping bubbly at various wine shops and, damn, I'd like to drink a toast to those places!

Wanna meet up? I'll be the one with the red nose and the bent elbow.

Now, you know I could tell give you a list of bottles that are worthy of popping the cork, but let's face it: Your palate is different than mine. When it comes to Champagne, I like it rich and toasty and yeasty. When I win the lottery, I'm going to buy a case of Krug. Don't worry. I'll share.

If you wanna go around the world, there are fizzy wines from just about everywhere: cheap Lambrusco, Prosecco and Asti Spumate from Italy, value-priced brut from Washington state, sparklers from the former Soviet Union that taste like Putin's bald spot.

The Wino's obsessed with pink bubbles. I adore Mumm Napa Brut Rose, a beauty (at $16) that makes any dish a special occasion celebration. And I cannot get enough of the Sofia Blanc de Blanc minis from Coppola winery because, hell yeah, I love drinking bubbly pretty pink can.

But I'm open to trying new things and you should be, too.

Bin 41 is pouring tiny bubbles from 4 to 6 Friday.

Portalis will let you try before you buy on Saturday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Curt Johnson from Ward Johnson Winery will share his sparkler at Greenlake Wine, where they'll also be pouring glasses of Deutz Champagne for $5 this weekend.

And Wine World will serve samples of Zarb Champagne starting at 2 p.m.

All sound like a fine and dandy way to get the party started! Who's ready to put the hurt on those brain cells with some ChamPAGNE??

Follow Voracious on Twitter and Facebook.