You Ask, and We'll Answer

Our New Year's resolutions include devoting more time and space to the questions you ask us about wine and about what to eat with the wines you drink. We're getting a jump on things with the first half of today's column, and we plan to devote one column every month or two to a similar Q and A.

What do you think of the Biltmore Estate wines?

We've been asked that question several times, which makes sense given the popularity of the Asheville, N.C., winery as a tourist destination. A poll last year by Harris Interactive and the American Institute of Architects placed the Biltmore Estate and its Vanderbilt Mansion among the top 10 favorite works of architecture in the nation; the estate also claims that no U.S. winery can top its 600,000 annual visitors.

We recently sampled three of the wines, all of them non-vintage, and the first wasn't particularly promising. The Biltmore Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($14) is described on the winery's Web site as "smooth and fruity." We'll give it that, but not much else. The wine was so lacking in tannin that we had to recheck the label to confirm it actually was a cabernet.

The second wine seemed a little better, at least at the start. The crisp Biltmore Estate Methode Champenoise Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine ($25) has such an unusual -- and quite pleasant -- fresh spearmint nose and finish that we'd be tempted to try it with Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. However, we'd have to drink it quickly; sadly, the bubbles faded to a mere hint of effervescence in our glasses after just a half-hour.

The Biltmore Estate Chardonnay Sur Lies ($11), on the other hand, was a pleasure. Full of juicy pear fruitiness and crisp acidity and with a minerally finish that wouldn't quit, this wine is also a very good value. Buy it by the case, and pour it with chicken or shellfish dishes, with or without cream-based sauces.

I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive (around $10 or under) smooth red wine and a crisp -- not too oaky or buttery -- white wine to serve at my wedding. My fiance and I really like McManis Family Vineyards Pinot Noir [$13] and Fat Bastard Chardonnay [$12]. Do you have any suggestions for a few other wines we can try out?

Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials, and of course we're happy to suggest some other dependable wines at or under the prices of those you're considering.

Among whites, we suggest tasting a few of the following, along with the aforementioned Biltmore Estate Chardonnay Sur Lies: the 2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Chardonnay ($13), the 2005 Hogue Cellars Columbia Valley Chardonnay ($10) or the 2005 Meridian Santa Barbara Chardonnay ($10).

Among reds, consider checking out the 2006 Cartlidge & Browne Pinot Noir ($13), the 2005 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot ($11) or the 2004 Osborne Solaz Tempranillo-Cabernet ($8).

As you finalize your wedding menu, we suggest that you sample the wines you're considering alongside your appetizer and entree choices. And though you didn't ask for this word of unsolicited advice, on behalf of wedding guests everywhere we'll plead: Please, no dry champagne with your wedding cake. Consider serving a sweet sparkling wine, such as a Moscato d'Asti, instead.

However, to be honest, we encourage you not to underestimate the sentimental value of serving the wines that are among your personal favorites. Consider sharing with guests -- via the menu or on a table tent at the bar -- a few words about how you and your fiance discovered or enjoyed these wines together. We guarantee that most of your guests would prefer connecting with wines that played a role in your courtship rather than those that happen to be highly rated by others.