The yearend holiday season brings a flurry of parties, rich dinners and the popping of corks. For those of us who love wine, this time of year presents a few dilemmas as well. There's the torture of finding the right bottle to give the boss or a gourmand in-law who has tried everything. Then we mull over the most delicious wines for a memorable Christmas or New Year's Eve with friends. Maybe we hunt, too, for the best Champagne for a romantic winter te^te-a-te^te. Wine creates a sense of occasion; it is the ribbon that ties together feasts, great and small.

Vineland typically focuses on wines in the 1,000-3,500 yen range. During the holiday season, however, people often splurge on something special. We asked experts in Tokyo to propose three wines (sparkling, white and red), not to exceed 5,000 yen/bottle, and a favorite dish to accompany them. Today, and in the next Vineland column (Dec. 16), we will feature their wine tips for gift-giving and holiday pleasure.

You might opt to avoid the shopping rush by buying wines online. One of the largest Internet wine shops is e-Shopping! Wine ( www.eswine.co.jp ). Tokyo wine writer Takuya Kusuda is part of the shop's team. To start a holiday evening, he suggests Bollinger Special Cuvee Champagne, served with shellfish sashimi, carpaccio or roast chicken. "It's Agent 007's Champagne with a traditional, rich taste," Kusuda says. The suggested retail price is 6,000 yen; e-Shopping! Wine offers it for 3,800 yen. It's also available at local department stores (including Tokyu Shibuya, [03] 3477-3111) for between 4,000 yen and 5,500 yen.

In the white category, Kusuda proposes a distinctive Alsatian wine, 1998 Josmeyer Pinot Auxerrois "H" Vielles Vignes (3,480 yen online; suggested price 4,100 yen). Outside Alsace, this grape variety (also called Auxerrois Blanc) is little-known, but it yields a gem of a wine here. It goes beautifully with fish and steamed vegetables, Kusuda says. The wine can be found as well in stores such as Takashimaya ([03] 3211-4111).

Kusuda's top red pick is a well-priced Cote du Rhone AC wine from his favorite Hermitage producer. 1999 J.L. Chave Mon Coeur sells for 2,700 yen on the Web site (suggested price is 4,700 yen). Kusuda relishes this warming, spicy red with meaty fare such as sukiyaki or teppanyaki.

We also spoke with Marcus Yip, an Australian chef whose Chinese heritage inspires his Pacific Rim fusion cuisine. Yip inherited a passion for wine from his father, a longtime collector with thousands of bottles in his cellar. At his restaurant, Flavors (JFA Bldg. 2F, 2-12-16 Tsukiji, [03] 3524-8917), Yip is known for creative food-and-wine pairings.

He starts his holiday feast with 1996 Cloudy Bay Pelorus sparkling wine from New Zealand (3,500 yen by Village Cellars mail-order, [0120] 106-876), served with fresh oysters in a spicy ginger sauce. For the next course, he pours a Tasmanian white wine, 1999 Piper Brooks Pinot Gris (3,000 yen; Village Cellars). "It's a great match with seasonal grilled Taraba crab in a creamy lime and galanga ginger sauce," he tells us. With his Christmas turkey (honey-cured and slow-roasted, with wild rice-and-thyme stuffing), Chef Marcus plans to drink the 1999 Parker Estate Terra Rossa from South Australia's Coonawarra region (4,000 yen; Village Cellars).

Cave de Relax (1-6-11 Nishi-Shinbashi, [03] 3595-3697) is among Tokyo's best-stocked wine stores. Manager Ikuko Horibe scrutinized the shop's shelves to pick three good-value holiday wines. She recommends pouring Jacques Picard Brut Champagne NV (2,980 yen) with scallop carpaccio. For her main course, she moves to an Aussie red: 2000 Scotchman's Hill Pinot Noir (2,480 yen), paired with grilled lamb and fruit sauce.

For a grace note to the evening, she likes 1969 Rabelais Coteau du Layon Beaulieu (2,980 yen). "I enjoy this white wine without food, but it will go well with any light dessert," Horibe explains. "We also have the 1973/'74 vintages, but I prefer the '69. They all taste unbelievably young and fresh. I think this price is quite a bargain."

Any of these wines will make a superb present for a wine fan. But then again, you might just choose to sip them yourself. Check in for more holiday wine suggestions in the next Vineland column.