The elegant champagne toast remains the greatest final touch of every wedding. However, while it may seem easy, getting to this point is daunting. Making champagne purchase decisions is challenging, especially since you should choose from various types, know the right time to serve, and the number of bottles to order. Without a doubt, the champagne realm can be intimidating, with multiple brands, high price tags, and French terms. To ease your planning, below are some insights on how to serve champagne better at your wedding.
Terms to Know
Knowing the basic terms when shopping for champagne comes in handy when selecting the best champagne. For instance, you will often be asked to choose between brut or rose champagne. In most cases, brut refers to dry sparkling wine. However, most people take it for white or classic champagne. On the other hand, rose champagnes, like rose wines, have a nice pink hue.
Extra brut refers to drier champagne, which are wines with very low amounts of sugar. Therefore, if you prefer crisp Sancerre and other highly acidic wines, this might be the best choice. However, it won’t suit everyone, as Prosecco lovers will find it very dry. Champagnes are made from combining several grapes, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier.
Therefore, if you see the term “Blanc de Blancs” or “white from whites” on the label, that bottle is 100% Chardonnay. These are richer, creamy, and full grapes that should be aged. Vintage champagnes are made of grapes harvested in the same year and aged for a minimum of three years. This makes them quite pricier.
Champagne Serving Tips to Know
Like other aspects of planning for a wedding, choosing the best champagne involves finding a perfect balance between what you love and your guests’ preferences. Generally, for a toast between 50 and 200 people, non-vintage brut champagne is the best. Its taste cuts across all guests regardless of everyone’s preference. Below are some tips to consider when selecting your wedding champagne.
- Make estimations – regardless of whether your wedding is an intimate gathering of family members and friends or a grand event, you should estimate the amount of champagne required. As always, it is good to buy more than required. With sufficient amounts, you can accommodate all your guests and avoid the shame of drying up early in the reception.
- Know when to serve – will champagne be served during dinner or reserved for the after-party? Regardless, your decision of when to serve should help you determine the amounts required and the type of champagne to buy. For instance, brit champagne is best for making a toast, Moet and Chandon for dinner, while demi-sec suits cake cutting sessions.
- Food pairings – you should also consider the food on your menu before buying champagne.Food pairing is an important determinant since some champagnes are best served with food while others are best served on their own. You should be very specific with the brand taste and smell and how it matches your meals. A good example is rose champagne, which pairs well with pasta and meat dishes.
- Consider the sweetness – most champagnes are categorized depending on sugar levels. Sweetness is an important consideration when choosing champagne for wedding receptions. For the best selection, consider consulting a connoisseur. However, it is worth noting that overly sweet wine doesn’t pair well with foods. Besides, most people don’t like sugary flavors.
Best Champagnes for Weddings
Taking into consideration the above tips, below are some of the best champagne options for your wedding;
- Blanc de noir; is primarily made of pinot noir grapes. They have a heavy body compared to other sparkling wines with gold to pink color.
- Blanc de blanc; they are 100% derived from Chardonnay and come with a light and delicate flavor.
- Metodo Classico; these sparkling wines have a rich body with creamy bubbles.
- Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine with fruity and aromatic flavors. Unlike other wines that get better with time, prosecco is best served when young.
- Cava; it is the Spanish version of wine produced like champagne. They are an affordable option with perfectly balanced fruit flavor but not as sweet as Prosecco.
- Sparkling rose; also known as Rosado, this wine pairs well with food. They are made from a combination of sparkling white wine and still red wine, which explains its varying color and flavor. Always taste the varieties before making a purchase decision.
Bottom Line
You should be meticulous when choosing all the components of your wedding. Apart from the invitations and decorations, you should also plan for the toast happening at the reception. While it might seem simple and unimportant, wedding toasts are the epitome of this special event. Therefore, be careful when choosing your champagne and menu items. Also, make purchases from recognized distributors for quality tastes. While it may take up a significant portion of your budget, making the right choice is worth the splurge.