If April showers bring May flowers, then May bridal showers must bring June brides since the high season for weddings begins this month as many brides — and grooms — gear up for nuptials that will hopefully last a lifetime.
Here are a few interesting facts, as compiled by the Champagne Bureau, from last year’s weddings in the United States:
* More than 2,162,000 weddings were celebrated.
* The average cost of an engagement ring was $6,348 – up 43 percent from 2006.
* 148 guests attended the average wedding.
* Receptions (including the venue, food and beverages) account for about 50 percent of the entire wedding budget.
* The average wedding costs $29,334.
* Hawaii is the top honeymoon destination.
* Favorite wedding moment is the toast to the bride and groom.
It appears more than the ceremony and wedding vows, the celebration that follows is what most couples remember from their special day. Since one of my own friends is getting ready to walk down the aisle with her longtime beau, I thought it would be fitting to provide a few suggestions on what wines for both the reception and banquet — presuming they don’t elope — would provide great value. Retail prices are approximate.
Most receptions don’t feature a lot of heavy food, so the wine should be able to stand on its own. Sparkling wines are a great way to get guests into a festive mood and Proseccos are a good choice since they are light and bright and are usually in the “inexpensive-to-reasonable” price range. Try the Non-Vintage Riondo Prosecco from Veneto, Italy. It’s creamy on the front of the palate, with loads of green apple and nectarine flavors. The crisp finish has a hint of citrus that keeps the palate clean and fresh. At $12 a bottle, it’s also easy on the budget.
During warmer months I really enjoy a nice pinot grigio. The high acidity and low price ($9) in the 2008 Ruffino “Lumina” Pinot Grigio from Venezia Giulia, Italy — made from grapes grown in the Fruili Venezia Giulia region — keeps the delicious notes of pear, green plums and citrus fruit on the medium-bodied, well-balanced frame bright and refreshing.
I like my “reception reds” to be a little on the lighter, fruitier side of the spectrum and Beaujolais wines — made from the gamay grape — fit the bill (and pocketbook) perfectly. At $16 a bottle, the 2007 Michel Tete Beaujolais from Julienas, France, is bright and festive with fleshy, juicy flavors of red berry and plum on the front of the palate and hints of black pepper on the easy finish. If your reception is outside, serve this wine slightly chilled.
Because banquet wines will be paired with food, they generally need to carry a little more oomph. If you’re planning on serving chicken or lighter-flavored fish, a versatile white wine comes in handy. I really like Rhone white varietals for this assignment and the 2007 Horton Vineyards Viognier from Orange, Va., is about as good as this domestic version gets. Beautiful scents of gardenia and apricot float on the fragrant bouquet while luscious flavors of ripe peach, apricot and papaya glide over the tongue on the way to the long and elegant finish. This wine is a remarkable value at just $16 a bottle.
One of the most versatile and often overlooked reds in the wine world is merlot. It has a tendency to be powerful enough to pair with a variety of beef preparations yet elegant enough to enjoy on its own. The 2005 Franciscan Merlot from Napa Valley, Calif., offers up a lot of wine for the $18 price tag. The complex nose features scents of dark berry, black plum and vanilla. The wine feels expansive and round in the mouth where layers of black plum, dark cherry, black currant and earthy notes integrate with soft tannins to provide a graceful and lengthy finish.
Last, but certainly not least, is the wedding toast. While there are many great sparkling wines available, personally, I think Champagne — real French Champagne with a capital “C” — is the way to go. There’s just something about Champagne that adds just that extra touch of class to any special occasion, and weddings are about as special as occasions get. The Non-vintage Laurent Perrier Brut is great Champagne to toast with. The pretty aromas of brioche toast, candied ginger and wet stone are charming. The delicate bubbles carry flavors of apple, nectarine and toast over the entire palate and the semidry structure is a nice match with — or without — wedding cake. Considering you can generally get 12 glasses of Champagne per bottle, the $35 price tag is still reasonable.
Hint: When buying wine from a retailer, make sure that they will take back unopened cases or bottles of wine. That way, you won’t worry about having enough wine on hand.
