Your special day has arrived. As you walk down the aisle, the last thing you should be worrying about whether you should have chosen a Sauvignon Blanc instead of a Chardonnay, or a Pinot Noir instead of a Merlot. But, with the incredible number of wines to choose from, how do you pick the best ones for your event?

The first step is to decide on a budget. If you're including sparkling wine or Champagne in your celebration, the good news is that there is a wide price range. If you are on a tight budget, Spanish Cavas, e.g., Cristalino Brut or Freixenet, are good choices - prices range from $7 to $10 per bottle. Italian Prosecco is another option, with excellent producers making delightfully fruity sparkling wines for $12 to $15. California sparkling wines such as Domaine Chandon, Mumm Napa, and Gloria Ferrer offer excellent quality and retail for $13 to $20. Excellent non-vintage Bruts retailing for $30 to $40 are available from most French Champagne makers, including Veuve Clicquot, Perrier Jouet, Billecart-Salmon, and Pol Roger. If you want to be more extravagant, vintage Champagnes sell for $50 and up - with Tete de Cuvee Champagnes (e.g., Dom Perignon, Cristal or La Grande Dame at $100 and more.

When choosing your white and red wines you should again start with your budget. Quality is always very important - but, your guests are unlikely to be sitting at a table all evening swirling and sniffing their wine. The focus should be on how well the wines complement the food. A Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon selection should work well with most menus. Chardonnay makes a great cocktail white and pairs beautifully with richer seafood and poultry. Retail prices range from inexpensive ($6-$13), e.g.: Grand Cru, Kali Hart from Monterrey, Louis Latour Macon, and Hess Select; to moderate ($20-$35), e.g.: Acacia, Rombauer, Talbott; to expensive ($40 and up), e.g.: Far Niente, Mer Soleil and Kistler.

Depending on your menu, though, Chardonnay might not be the right choice. If your menu features Asian flavors, Pinot Grigio, Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc could be a better choice. There are wonderful Italian Pinot Grigios available from $10 to $15 (Colterenzio or Tomassi); Alsatian Rieslings (Trimbach or Hugel) can be found for under $20. Delicious and versatile Sauvignon Blanc wines from California (Honig, Groth, St. Supery), France (Sancerre from Reverdy, Buissons or Neveu) or New Zealand (Thornbury, Kim Crawford, Lawson) start around $13.

For your red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon is always well received and is the perfect complement to steak, lamb or prime rib. Excellent wines at reasonable prices include Manzanita Canyon ($7), St. Francis ($13), BV Rutherford ($22), and Liberty School ($18). Malbecs from Argentina, California Syrah or Australian Shiraz are excellent full-bodied alternatives to Cabernet. If you want a versatile red to go with seafood or Pacific Rim cuisine look for Pinot Noir such as Ramsay ($13), Saintsbury Garnet ($18) or David Bruce Central Coast ($20), Italian Dolcetto or Barbera, or French Cotes du Rhones. These wines all have bright fruit and can be served with a wide variety of dishes.

With so many wines available, the best advice for choosing the right wines is to consult your local wine merchant. The examples listed above will give you an idea of the possibilities, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. Your wine retailer should be able to create a list of options using your budget and menu as guidelines. Allow enough time before making your final decision to take a couple of the recommendations home and try them with your friends and family. When that special day arrives you want to be sure that your decisions were the right ones!

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