Let us begin with Champagne!

The bubbles are really what set champagne apart from other wines. Romance, Congratulations, Weddings, New Year's Eve and much more. Football players even pour it over each other! Foaming up the center of a beautiful flute glass, there is nothing to equal the visual appeal of a sparkling wine.
In Europe, champagne is also understood to be truly a wine. With the many styles available it is often enjoyed as part of a fine dining experience. This has not always been the case in America, where the traditional mind-set has been for launching boats and brides. Happily, that is changing.
More and more wine lovers are beginning to understand the complexity, depth and character possible in a fine sparkling wine and what a wonderful addition it can be to almost any menu.
Think about it! If you can choose an elegant variety of grapes such as Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, pick them carefully, ferment them skillfully, blend them in an artistic way and then age them substantially- why should they not be as suitable an accompaniment to fine cuisine as any excellent table wine? They can be.

Remember-All champagne is sparkling wine, but all sparkling wine is not champagne. Only wines made in the Champagne region of France can be called that. Do not discount those other sparklers. There are some truly fabulous sparkling wines from America, Spain Cava and Italy Prosecco as well as Australia, South America and New Zealand.

Special note-A rule of thumb when pairing wine and dessert is that the wine should be sweeter than the food. If not, the wine will taste flat and sometimes bitter. If you are serving a sparkling wine with your wedding cake, make sure it a sweeter style such as a Demi Sec or an Extra Dry (Yes, extra dry is actually somewhat sweet.) Another choice might be an Asti Spumonte from Italy. Save the dry sparkling wine for the first course or appetizers. There is nothing better than the toasty crunch of a fried oyster with a dry Cava from Spain or the crisp acidity of a dry French Champagne as a counterpoint to the salty richness of smoked salmon.

Special occasion or not-give sparkling wine a try. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

L. Cunningham
A Woman On Wine