BUBBLY SALES KEEP UP WITH THE HOLIDAYS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Contrary to early predictions, the world did not run out of champagne and sparkling wine in late December as revelers prepared for the arrival of the new millennium.

Until closing time on Dec. 31, most stores still had sparkling wine, although the selection might have been a bit diminished, according to press reports from around the country.

But that doesn't mean that New Year's Eve wasn't a home run for the sparkling wine industry.

Sparkling wine sales did surge during the build-up to Y2K. According to Nielsen AC, the best week of the year for sparkling wine sales was the week that ended Dec. 11, when sales in the category jumped 33.2 percent. …