Wine is fine for ordinary parties, but when it's time to toast the bride and groom, everyone expects Champagne. It's one of the most important details that will set the tone for the party, yet the most overlooked.
More often than not, the assumption is that the catering hall, restaurant or hotel "is taking care of it." Sure, there will be something on the table with which to make the traditional Champagne toast, but if you don't make it clear to your banquet director that you consider wine to be an integral part of your wedding, you are likely to be served plonk with bubbles. This is the reason in the first place that many people are turned off to Champagne. Incidentally, there is a difference between Champagne and sparkling wine. True Champagne is produced in the Champagne region of France. The temptation is to call anything that bubbles Champagne, but technically everything else is sparkling wine. As much as I adore Champagne from France, there is a treasure trove of high quality sparkling wine values from all over the world. Some of my favorites are from California, Spain, Italy, and Australia.
When I was planning my wedding 19 years ago and selecting the wines with the catering director who was no stranger to elegant parties, I'll never forget what he said: "People just toast with Champagne. They don't really drink it." In our case we knew that we were entertaining a Champagne crowd so we insisted on the real McCoy and the bubbly flowed throughout the evening. Our guests still talk about it.
Whether or not you are entertaining a Champagne crowd, here are some tips on selecting Champagne for a wedding:
If you are dealing with a catering director or party planner, make it clear from the beginning that the wine and Champagne is an important part of your celebration so he or she will take more care with the selection.
Taste the Champagne before you order it whenever possible, or ask if the caterer can order Champagne or sparkling wine for your party that is not listed on the regular wine list. With advance notice, this should not be a problem.
Decide how you wish to use Champagne or sparkling wine at your wedding so you know how much you'll need. Do you expect to serve it just for the toast? You'll need about one bottle for every eight guests. Will it be available at the bar during the cocktail reception? Count on one bottle for every three to four guests. Do you want to serve Champagne or sparkling wine with dinner? One bottle for every two to three guests should do it.
If you are serving Champagne as an aperitif or with the main meal, your best bet is to go with a dry style that is labeled "brut" (for the driest) or "extra dry" (less dry than brut). If you are saving the Champagne to be enjoyed with the wedding cake, a sweeter style, labeled "demi-sec" will make a better match.
Felicia Sherbert, director of wine programs for Group IST, is the award-winning author of The Unofficial Guide to Selecting Wine
(John Wiley & Son) and the upcoming "What's My Wine?"TM. She can be reached at expert@thevintageseries.com.
