I am always disheartened when I look around at countless weddings and see half empty flutes of champagne left on the table.  Sometimes I’m sad as I know it was good champagne wasted on non-champagne lovers, and sometimes I’m sympathetic as truly cheap, bad champagne can be hard to finish! 

It’s definitely worth discussing the pros and cons of a champagne toast depending on your guests, budget and taste.  If no one finishes the champagne you might as well have them toast to your happily-ever-after marriage with whatever they have in their hand.  If you have your heart set on something sparkling, but are sticking to a budget, here are my favorite budget bubblies.

Veuve du Vernay – Brut or Rosé $9

This sparkling wine is a beautiful drink with fine, long-lasting bubbles (an important quality if you consider the length of a toast at a wedding.)  Veuve du Vernay is a steal at $9 a bottle.  It’s French, but not from the Champagne region, so it is considered a sparkling wine.  The Rosé is great for a twist on the traditional champagne toast, and is especially refreshing in the summer.  It will be appreciated by both wine lovers and novices alike.

Freixenet – Under $10

Freixenet is an underappreciated Spanish sparkling wine, otherwise known as a cava.  Cava is usually produced near Barcelona thus leading to the frustrating question of, “How do you pronounce Freixenet?”  As most people aren’t familiar with Catalan, it can be difficult to figure out.  It’s hard to write phonetically, but the closest I can come is “Fresh – eh – nett” If you go to www.youtube.com you can search for Freixenet commercials (which are highly entertaining)  and learn the correct pronunciation so that you’re sophisticated on your wedding day! But enough about that, Freixenet is an approachable, balanced, smooth bubbly drink that might have your guests asking for more.

 Argyle Brut 2002, $20-$24

If you’ve hopped on the locavore bandwagon and are looking for a local sparkling wine selection, look no further than the Willamette Valley in Oregon.  Though famous for their Pinot Noir; their Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and sparkling wines are often top notch at a fraction of the price compared to their California competitors.  Argyle mixes 25% Pinot Noir and 75% Chardonnay in its Brut.  The quality is that of a $40 bottle, so you get double the value and celebrate Northwest winemaking in the process.  It may just be worth a romantic weekend trip to the vineyard to stock up.  If you buy at the winery you’ll save on pricing by the case and no sales tax!