Sparkling wines on your special day

SCRIPPS HOWARD

It’s July and wedding season is in full swing, so we had better do a little story on champagne and sparkling wine.

I encourage brides and grooms to spend a bit of money beforehand and taste some of these examples to determine what appeals to them the most before buying 10 cases or whatever they need.

If your wedding entails a cast of thousands or even just several hundred, the typical selection is the nonvintage Paul Cheneau Brut Blanc de Blancs from Spain, a pleasant concoction that fills the requirement of being dry, having lots of bubbles and offering tasty (if rather bland) citrus flavors with a floral touch. Usually $8 or $9. Blanc de Blancs means the wine was made from all white grapes.

My favorite in the price range, however, hails from the Savoie region of the French Alps. Trocadero Brut Blanc de Blancs, nonvintage, provides remarkable quality for the price. It’s crisp and dry, nutty and toasty and bursts with citruspear scents and flavors enlivened with a hint of almond, all set in a moderately lush texture. A great bargain at about $8.

The nonvintage Korbel Brut and Brut Rose (about $11 each), from California, are characterized by their fresh, bright, clean nature, certainly important qualities, while the Domaine Ste Michelle Brut, nonvintage, from Washington, carries a little more depth and substance than those examples (about $12). The nonvintage Gruet Brut is so charming, so crisp and lively, that you will be surprised to know that it’s made in Albuquerque, N.M. (usually $12 to $14).

A terrific crowd-pleaser is the crisp and lively Willm Cremant d’Alsace Blanc de Noir, nonvintage, fashioned from 100 percent pinot noir grapes into a delightful amalgam of green apples and pears, toasted almonds and dried spices. In fact, I wish I had a glass right now. About $15.

We inch up the scale $1 for the nonvintage Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir, from Sonoma County, a sparkler that makes you wonder how it could be made for this price. A tempest of tiny bubbles is prelude to raspberry and strawberry tea scents and flavors with biscuity elements and lovely body and density set off by a stony back-note. About $16.