This is a most fitting time to consider sparkling wines. As we head into the especially warm months, it makes sense to pay attention to options that are wonderfully thirst-quenching and refreshing.

Sparkling Italian prosecco has made such a huge impact in the sparkling-wine category that today it ranks as one of the top wine imports in the U.S. My favorites in the category are remarkably light in body, with rounder edges and flirtatious bubbles, all ideal for our warm isle weather. Another plus to proseccos are how reasonably priced they can be.

Compare prosecco with the most famous, highest-quality sparkling wines of the world, which hail from the Champagne region of France. They are, to this day, considered the epitome of bubbly. The fine quality of these offerings is shaped by grape varieties (pinot noir, pinot meunier and/or chardonnay), a unique limestone-based soil and, of course, climate. They command a premium price, and deservedly so.

But what well-priced, high-quality wines serve as good alternatives to prosecco and Champagne? At two recent tastings of sparkling wines, we received a resounding response to four bottles that fit the bill, and I share them here.

Each of these artisan wines is produced at small, family-owned estates situated in a unique nook in the Mediterranean basin. All are produced with a process similar to that used in Champagne. Consider trying a couple to help you cope with the sweltering heat.

Lambert Seyssel “Petit Royal” (about $22 a bottle): Though most readers won’t be familiar with Seyssel wines, this small appellation and its wines date back to at least the 11th century, and Lambert Seyssel is regarded as the finest of the appellation’s producers. Located in the foothills of the Alps in eastern France, the base wine is produced from 70 percent molette and 30 percent altese grapes, grown in pockets of steep clay and limestone soils. The resulting wine has an intriguing stony character with intermittent apple, peach and floral nuances. The bubbles keep the palate fresh between tastes.

Punta Crena Spumante Brut “Colline Savonesi” (about $26): This is a tasty, invigorating sparkling wine from the steep, rocky hillsides of Liguria on Italy’s western coast. Here the mataossu grape variety has been grown by only one family, the Ruffinos, in one village, for more than 500 years. As is true for most family-owned artisan wineries, knowledge and expertise are passed from one generation to the next. The primary distinction of this bubbly is how it deftly captures the essences of the sea, sun-baked rocks, wild shrubs and herbs that surround the vineyard. It would therefore be fitting to sip it by the ocean, well chilled, on a warm, breezy day.

Nicole Chanrion Brut “Effervescence” (about $32): This offering comes from France’s Beaujolais region at the southern end of Burgundy, an unlikely place to uncover an interesting sparkling wine. Yet winemaker Nicole Chanrion is among the standout producers of the Cote-de-Brouilly, an appellation that sits on the hillsides of a prehistoric volcano that left blue schist stones. The soil yields wines with pronounced minerality and great aging potential. The gamay noir grape Chanrion uses is a descendent of pinot noir, one of the dominant varieties used in Burgundy and Champagne, making this wine unique without being too esoteric. Chanrion ferments the grapes in a stainless-steel tank, then ages them 18 months on their lees for added complexity and texture.

Achard-Vincent Clairette de Die “Tradition” (about $28): Here is a fascinating, slightly sweet, wonderfully fruity sparkling wine from France’s Rhone Valley. Domaine Achard-Vincent is an exceptional producer who biodynamically farms his vineyard and masterfully handcrafts his wines. In this case he uses the methode dioise, an ancestral method that allows a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The resulting wine has an intriguing underlying minerality and a lighter bead of bubbles, all at roughly 7 percent alcohol. Those who attended tastings of this wine were enthralled with its remarkably refreshing edge.

Chuck Furuya is a master sommelier and a partner in the DK Restaurants group. Follow his blog at chuckfuruya.com.