Despite all the hoopla surrounding millennium madness, Champagne producer Moët & Chandon reports in its Millennium Survey of 1,004 adults (conducted by Roper Starch Worldwide) that 57 percent of Americans are planning to mark the occasion with a quiet, in-house celebration. Of those, 25 percent will host a party; 17 percent have already accepted an invitation; and 41 percent say they plan to splurge on a great bottle of Champagne. What is more, industry sources estimate that more than 1.5 million Americans have already ordered their year 2000 bubbly.

For those of us who haven't even given a thought to what we'll be drinking this New Year's Eve, the survey results are a wake-up call. While Champagne itself is not likely to disappear altogether from store shelves, some producers anticipate that their stocks will be depleted by mid-summer.

"With the growing demand for wines from La Champagne, consumers would be well-advised to purchase their favorite cuvées earlier rather than later," cautions Jean-Louis Carbonnier of the Champagne Wines Information Bureau. "Although a shortage of the classic Champagnes is not anticipated at this time, the same cannot be said about vintage and prestige cuvées, as many consumers will probably want to trade up in the millennium years, 1999, 2000 and 2001." Gearing up for the millennium, a number of Champagne and sparkling wine producers are bottling special cuvées – be they vintage-dated rarities or multi-vintage gems – lavishly presented in large-format bottles and nested in elaborate boxes. Many have been hoarding their best Champagne for the occasion, and a few are even offering trips, futures or special accouterments.

Champagne Louis Roederer has already sold out of its signed and numbered Cristal 2000 Methuselahs, while others, such as Taittinger, won't release their commemorative bottlings until spring or summer.

Some Champagne producers, however, are bypassing the fin de siècle bells and whistles.

Krug, for example, is holding back a few of its conventional magnums in order to meet the demands of the occasion, and Salon is timing the release of its 1985 vintage – a "fireworks of a wine," says General Manager Didier Depond – with the coming of the millennium. Having waited 14 years for the '85 wine to be ready, the wine is, indeed, a Champagne for celebration (approximately $185).

Prestige Champagnes are pricey by nature; those specially bottled for the millennium even more so in some cases. But when it comes to New Year's Eve, one might do well to remember the words of the wit who once said, "it's better to spend money like there's no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there's no money." Wine merchants are already taking Champagne orders for next year, so whether you plan to welcome in the next 1,000 years at home or out on the town, you may wish to celebrate with any one of the bottlings of famous and fabulous fizz that follow here.

Champagne Deutz: Its special Amour de Deutz, a blanc de blancs cuvée created from the 1993 vintage, will not be released until sometime in 1999. There's reason to believe, however, that anyone who has savored the rich undertones in Cuvée William Deutz will find the millennium cuvée equally delicious. It will be available in both 750-ml. bottles and magnums (approximately $125 and $250, respectively).

Gosset: The only thing better than a bottle of Gosset is two bottles from this fine Champagne producer. Happily, its millennium creation offers twin pleasures: The 1990 Gosset Celebris and the 1995 Gosset Celebris Rosé are each presented in a wood box festooned with a gilded medallion. Included with this duo is a French-made watch that displays a digital countdown of the days remaining until New Year's Eve 1999 ($595).

Moët & Chandon: This house has pulled out all the stops. Its singularly unique "Be Prepared" Millennium Party Case will make anyone toting it a hero. Packed in a reusable latching case are all the party necessities: two commemorative magnums of Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial (each adorned with a black silk year 2000 "necktie" anchored by a red wax seal), a disposable camera, an engraved 5"x 7" picture frame (a keepsake for the perfect celebratory photo) and a permanent silver-paint pen for signing the bottles.

Even more original is l'Esprit du Siècle, the rarest of millennium cuvées. Moët's winemakers drew on historic reserves in their library to create a wine from the best vintage of each decade of the century. L'Esprit du Siècle, (Spirit of the Century) includes cuvées from 1914, 1921, 1934, 1943, 1952, 1962, 1976 and 1985 blended together and re-fermented for a third time. There are only 300 magnums of this intriguing Champagne, which will be sold at auction (proceeds go to charity) in New York, Tokyo and Paris in October 1999.

Leave it to Dom Pérignon, Moët's luxury cuvée, to steal the show. Its millennium offerings include a single bottle of 1990 Dom with two crystal flutes ($125); a Dom threesome from the 1985 vintage, aged an additional five years on the yeast, and presented in a wood box ($400); a trio offering of Dom from the 1964, 1975 and 1978 vintages dubbed The Vintage Collection ($1,000); a duo gift box of DP in blanc and rosé ($300); and the favorite among our editors, a single bottle of 1990 Cuvée Dom Pérignon beautifully boxed with its own commemorative Keepsake Cork ($200). To ensure that millennium memories never fade, Dom Pérignon and Christofle, the renowned French silversmiths, got together to create this charming handcrafted silver box designed to hold a single cork. How better to preserve sparkling memories? Each holder is engraved with "31 Decembre 1999." Limited quantities of the Keepsake Cork ($65) are now available directly from Dom Pérignon. Call (800) 393-0338 to place an order.

Nicolas Feuillatte: This little house is commemorating the millennium in a big way with a glittering jeroboam offering of its 1992 Nicolas Feuillatte Grande Cuvée Palmes d'Or. Each 3-liter bottle is presented in a case crafted of rare wood ($1,000).

Perrier-Jouët: When bubbles alone won't do, how about a trip to France? Perrier-Jouët is offering a Réserve Belle Époque du Millénaire package that includes a one-night stay and dinner for two at Perrier-Jouët's 18th-century guest house, plus a limited-edition jeroboam of 1995 Fleur de Champagne. Each hand-numbered bottle will be covered with hand-applied platinum and gold anemones, and encased in a beechwood box (delivery date: Autumn 1999). Only 2,000 packages will be offered worldwide, half of which will be allocated to the United States ($2,000).

Pol Roger: This venerable house prides itself on having the deepest – therefore the coldest – caves in Champagne, which helps to produce extra-fine bubbles. Just the thing to ring in the new millennium: Pol Roger Brut 1990 Cuvée 2000, bottled in a limited number of magnums, each marked with its own disgorgement date and presented in a wood case ($200).

Ruinart: One of the most exquisite commemorative boxed presentations comes from Ruinart. Its l'Exclusive de Ruinart, available only in magnums, is encased in a filigree of silver plate created by Christofle silversmiths and cradled on white leather cushions inside a rare African walnut case. Once the cork is popped, use the case for storing treasures and the bottle as a decanter. ($1,500).

Taittinger: This house's Year 2000 cuvée will be released this coming summer. Of the 150,000 magnums produced, 12,000 will be numbered and 1,000 will be signed by Claude Taittinger. The dramatic bottles are etched with the traditional Taittinger design of a timeless beauty in a strapless evening dress seen through a Champagne flute. Made from chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier from 100 percent grand cru vineyards, the cuvée is dominated by the 1996 vintage ($200).

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin: The "widow's house" is offering two distinctive verticals from the 1988, 1989 and 1990 vintages, each presented in a wood case. What distinguishes one from the other is price and style. Celebrate in grand fashion with La Grande Dame Trilogie ($700) or a bit more modestly with the Vintage Réserve Trilogie ($250).

Champagne isn't the only bubbly being groomed for the millennium. California's sparkling wine producers are bottling special cuvées and dressing them up for the occasion.

Domaine Chandon: California's first French-owned sparkling house is greeting the new century with Cuvée 2000, blended primarily from the exceptional 1992 vintage with small amounts of reserve wines from the '88, '89, '90 and '91. "I was looking to balance the powerful fruit and body of pinot noir and pinot meunier with the elegance and structure of chardonnay and pinot blanc," says Winemaker Dawnine Dyer. Scheduled for release in December, devotees may want to get a jump on the millennium and bid 1998 farewell with a bottle or two ($25).

Gloria Ferrer: Owned by Freixenet, the Spanish cava-producing firm, Gloria Ferrer is making a big splash with its Royal Cuvée 2000 presented in a methuselah (6 liters). Made from 60 percent pinot noir and 40 percent chardonnay, this Carneros sparkler was made in limited amounts (approximately $300).

Iron Horse Vineyards: This family-owned Sonoma producer has turned out 1,000 jeroboams of 1990 Blanc de Blancs. The numbered, etched and hand-painted bottles may be secured for end-of-the-year celebrations with a stock-like certificate signed by each member of the Sterling family. The intricately detailed bottle bears the Sterling nebula – the family's own star system – and makes for a particularly fetching conversation piece after the last drop has been drunk ($350).

Korbel: California's oldest and best-selling producer of méthode champenoise sparkling wine is celebrating its first 115 years and getting ready for another century by releasing a millennium cuvée in 750-ml. bottles ($15). A more limited edition of 2,000 12-liter bottles with a commemorative millennium label also is being offered ($2,000). And as if 12 liters is not enough, Korbel has commissioned the world's largest Champagne bottle – 4 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing nearly 350 pounds – to ring out the old and bring in the new. This gargantuan bottle will tour the United States in 1999 and make its final stop in Times Square for New Year's Eve.

Roederer Estate: While all 2,000 Cristal methuselahs from Louis Roederer have been pre-sold, its California cousin has bottled 2,500 L'Ermitage magnums from the 1994 vintage, some of which may still remain. This marks the first occasion that Roederer Estate has bottled L'Ermitage in magnum – big bottles and big flavors, just right for a big celebration ($80).

Schramsberg Vineyards: Devotees of this prestigious Napa Valley producer will be pleased to celebrate the new year with magnums of late-disgorged 1990 J. Schram ($200) or late-disgorged 1988 Blanc de Noirs in 3-liter bottles ($350; $500 in a wood box). Each is hand-etched and individually numbered.

Travel Editor Marguerite Thomas writes on wine, food and wine country travel for The Wine News.