The beautiful bride has walked down
the aisle. The handsome groom has said
his vows. The newly married couple has
shared their first kiss. Now the
celebration begins! And it wouldn’t be a
true wedding celebration without breaking out the bubbles to toast the Mr. and
Mrs. Sparkling wines are a must at
wedding celebrations. Though bubbles
come in many different kinds and styles, a great celebratory wine must be
refreshing and graceful, just like the happy couple.
Colby and Ashley on their special day.
(Photo courtesy of Colby Ankeney.)
When most
people think of sparkling wine, they think of Champagne. However, true Champagne is the sparkling wine
made in the French wine-making region called Champagne. Champagne is made from a blend of red and
white grapes that actually go through a second fermentation process while in
the bottle. This fermentation creates
carbon dioxide that is reabsorbed into the wine, thus creating the
bubbles. This is called “Methode
Champenoise” or “Methode Traditionnelle,” so even though only wines from this
particular region of France are true Champagnes, many other wines around the
world go through this same process.
Drinking real Champagne at a wedding is a wonderful gesture, but when
most Champagnes cost $35 a bottle or more, it may not always fit into a wedding
budget for all the guests to toast the newlyweds with Champagne. If Champagne is on the menu, there are some
amazing producers that make breath-taking wines. Of course, everyone has heard of Dom Perignon
and Cristal, both retailing for just under or well over $200 per bottle. Other Champagnes with fewer zeros in the
price are produced by Moet and Chandon and Veuve Clicquot. Of course, if producer is not an issue, just
look for the word “Champagne” on a bottle, and you will be enjoying one of the
world’s most renowned sparkling wines.
If Champagne is not in the budget or on the wish list of the wedding planners, there are other sparklers from around the world that are equally amazing for a wedding toast…and most are a bit more budget-friendly. Cava is the sparkling wine made in the northeast region of Spain near Catalonia. Cavas are produced using the same classic method of Champagne, so these wines make a great alternative for toasting at less than half the price per bottle. Producers to look for if choosing Cava are Codorniu and Freixenet (in the black bottle).
Justin and Krishna celebrate their nuptials.
(Photo courtesy of Tim Thompson.)
Yet another option for a sparkling wine toast is to purchase Prosecco from Italy. These wines are known for having slightly larger bubbles and being less crisp than Champagnes or Cavas, yet make for a great wine for wedding receptions. Again, the price is going to be less than half the cost of Champagnes while still drinking a quality product. Look for Prosecco on the bottle or these reputable producers: Bisol and Masottina.
Though Europe has been producing sparkling wines for centuries, you can also find wonderful bubbly in the United States. If you are looking for a higher-quality sparkling from the U.S., make sure to look for the terms “Methode Champenoise” or “Methode Traditionnelle” on the bottle. Due to American wine laws, these are the only terms to tell how the wine was made. Of course, California makes some amazing sparklers. Look for the producers Gloria Ferrer, Domaine Carneros, Schramsberg, and Roederer. New York State is also moving toward making quality sparkling wines; Dr. Konstantin Frank is leading the way. Gruet, from New Mexico, is also a great bet.
Chancie and Aaron say "Cheers"!
(Photo courtesy of Deb Smith.)
These are
not the only sparkling wines made around the world. All countries make some sort of bubbly. Other terms to look for on wine bottles that
may help find a sparkler include cremant, sekt, frizzante, spumante, Blanquette
de Limoux, and Franciacorta. These words
either mean the wines are a sparkling style or are produced in a region that,
by law, are required to make sparkling wines.
Bubbles also come in many dryness/sweetness levels, anywhere from very
dry to very sweet. However, these levels
can be confusing; when the term “dry” is used, it does not actually refer to
the driest wines. The driest sparklers
are called Brut Zero (though these are not as common in the U.S.). Brut means dry. Extra Dry actually means not as dry as a Brut
but off-dry. Sec is semi-sweet, Demi-Sec
is sweet, and Doux is very sweet. Though
these are the French terms, they are used fairly universally for other European
and American sparklers. Of course some
bubbly wines, like Moscato d’ Asti, will always be sweet, even if they don’t
have any of the above terms on the label.
With so
many options, it can be hard to decide.
However, like most wedding decisions, budget might play a part in the
celebratory toast. If budget is no
issue, treat your guests to true Champagne or a quality sparkling from one of
the great producers mentioned earlier. When trying to stay within a budget,
wedding planners can have a special (more expensive) bottle of sparkling for
the bride, groom, and bridal party to toast with, and then have a quality—yet
less expensive—option for all of the guests.
Of course, like with any product, cheap options can be found. These might be wines that are made from a
method other than the classic method to make them sparkling…and that’s
okay. The most important part of this
special day is not the brand of sparkling wine, but the bride and groom that
are being toasted with that wine!
Jeff and Jaimee enjoy their first sip as husband and wife.
(Photo courtesy of Jaimee Johnson.)
The final, and absolutely most
important, note on sparkling wines, however, is the serving temperature of
these wines. Sparkling wines MUST be
served COLD, as cold as the wine can get!
Even the most expensive bubbly will not taste its best if it is served
at room temperature or warm. In fact,
for many years, I believed I didn’t like sparkling wines because of too many
wedding receptions where I had hot bubbly.
Make sure to keep the sparklers in a restaurant-grade, very cold
refrigerator just until it is time to pop the top. Ask for volunteers or have the event-location
staff help to open and pour the bottles just before time to toast. If there are still bottles with wine in them,
make sure to put these bottles on ice so they can be consumed cold during the
remainder of the wedding reception.
After the bride has lifted her veil
and the groom has professed his love, it is time to celebrate this beautiful
new union! These celebrations include special
speeches, loving dances, and festive toasts.
Sparkling wine is an important part of this tradition. No wedding day is complete without the pop of
a cork followed by a joyful “Cheers” to the newlyweds! Congratulations!
