Fruit-based cakes:
Vanilla cake with fresh berries and/or berry filling, with or without white chocolate mousse and with vanilla buttercream -- Some brut, pink, extra dry, demi-sec, doux, Asti, extra dry Prosecco.
Lemon curd -- Asti, extra dry Prosecco
Orange cake with raspberries and vanilla buttercream -- Some brut, pink, extra dry, sec, demi-sec, Asti and sparkling Moscato, doux
Marscapone and fresh raspberries -- Pink with high sugar and fruitiness, demi-sec, Asti and sparkling Moscato, doux.
Cakes with chocolate:
Dark chocolate buttercream, devil's food cake, chocolate or mocha mousse fillings -- Asti and sparkling Moscato, doux (including sparkling White Zinfandel)
If the cake is lighter in flavor like a light almond sponge and the chocolate is not predominant -- Asti, demi-sec.
Other cakes:
Almond with espresso filling -- Demi-sec, Asti and sparkling Moscato
Carrot -- Pinks, extra dry, sec/dry, some demi-secs, doux and Asti
Cheesecake, vanilla or caramel toffee -- Sec, demi-sec, Asti and sparkling Moscato, doux (including sparkling White Zinfandel).
Tiramisu, two styles:
Chiffon soaked with espresso, layered with marscapone rum filling -- Asti and sparkling Moscato
Vanilla cake with layer of chocolate chunks, espresso and marscapone -- Asti and sparkling Moscato, doux
Wine List:
Brut -- less than 1.5 percent sugar
1995 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Royal Cuvee ($22)
1999 Iron Horse Sonoma County Green Valley Russian Cuvee ($28)
2003 Francis Coppola Monterey County Sofia Blanc de Blancs ($19)
NV Domaine Chandon California Blanc de Noirs ($15).
Extra dry -- 1.2-2 percent sugar
NV Barefoot Cellars California Barefoot Bubbly Extra Dry ($6)
NV Domaine Chandon Riche California Extra Dry ($17)
NV Freixenet Carta Nevada Extra Dry ($9)
NV Freixenet Cordon Negro Extra Dry ($10)
NV Mumm Carte Classic Extra Dry ($39)
NV Segura Viudas Aria Estate Extra Dry ($12)
NV Tott's California Extra Dry ($7).
Sec or dry -- 1.7-3.5 percent sugar
NV Mumm Napa Valley Napa Valley Cuvee M ($18).
Demi-sec -- 3.5-5.0 percent sugar
NV Laurent-Perrier Demi-Sec ($29)
2000 Schramsberg California Cremant Demi-Sec ($34)
NV G.H. Mumm Joyesse Demi-Sec ($39).
Doux or sweet -- More than 5 percent sugar
NV Beringer California Sparkling White Zinfandel (pink) ($12)
NV Toad Hollow Vineyards Limoux Risque ($14).
Asti and Moscato-based
NV Gancia Asti ($13)
2003 Ceretto Santo Stefano Moscato d'Asti ($20)
NV Mionetto Il Moscato ($12)
NV Sergio Mionetto Valdobbiadene Spumante ($19).
Prosecco
NV Gancia Veneto Extra Dry Prosecco ($10)
NV Mionetto Il Prosecco ($12)
Source: "I doux." Yet in the marriage of sweet wedding cake to tart bubbly, some say, "I don't." Lynne Char Bennett, San Fransisco Chronicle
A Guide To Cake And Bubbly Pairing
