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Pop the Cork What’s more romantic than a glass of sparkling wine to toast a bride and groom? Nothing 
From the gentle sigh as you pull out the cork to the tickle at the back of your throat as you sip, sparkling wine is an exquisitely romantic drink. No wonder this effervescent bit of heaven is an essential part of so many wedding festivities. But if you find sparking wine intimidating – perhaps because you attach so much importance to it – here’s help demystifying the bubbly. Knowing your taste preferences will help you make a selection. Sparkling wines range from sweet to very dry. Extra-brut is very dry; brut is dry; extra-dry is slightly sweet and demi-sec is a sweet sparkling wine. Most experts recommend a brut sparkling wine because it goes with everything, and is usually a better-made wine than the semi-dry. Sparkling wines that sell for more than $12 a bottle are usually brut, according to Eileen Crane, president and wine maker for Domaine Carneros in Napa, Calif. You also may wonder whether you should buy imported French Champagne or one of the many excellent brands made in the U.S. That choice, too, depends on your taste. “If you like toasty and yeasty, it’s French; if you like something light and bubbly it’s California,” says Gary Heck, president of Korbel Champagne Cellars in Western Sonoma County. Although sparkling wines seem expensive at $10 to $25 a bottle, depending on the brand and style, the versatility of the product can ultimately make it a bargain. “You can get away with serving only sparkling wine for a wedding reception, so you don’t need extra glasses for various mixed drinks,” says Crane, who oversees production of the elegant Domaine Carneros sparkling wines. “And you can have a sparkling wine bar so you don’t have to worry about stocking whiskey, scotch and other distilled spirits,” she says. Crane recommends kir royale instead of cocktails or to accommodate guests who don’t enjoy very dry sparkling wine. To make a kir royale, pour a teaspoon of cassis syrup or crème de cassis into a glass and top with 4 ounces of chilled sparkling wine. If you’re reserving sparkling wine for the toasts, gather everyone for the ritual at the start of the reception, not during the cake cutting, when everyone has already been drinking. “The toast serves as an official welcome and gets people in the mood,” says Crane. Serving tips • If sparkling wine is the only alcoholic beverage you’re serving for the reception and meal, allow about a half-bottle per person. • For a single-serving toast, allow one (750 ml) bottle of sparkling wine for 5 or 6 glasses. A case of sparkling wine fills 96 glasses. For a guest list of 200, buy 2 1/2 cases. “But assume you’ll run out anyway because everyone loves sparkling wine. Even if you buy five cases, you’ll run out,” says Heck. • Serve sparkling wine in flute or tulip glasses. Tulip glasses have the advantage of being less delicate and fragile. • Chill sparkling wine one hour in ice or overnight in the refrigerator. • Don’t pour sparkling wine in advance or it will go flat. |
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