The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton is fast approaching; the couple will be married on April 29 at Westminster Abbey in London, England.

With that in mind, we found ourselves wondering what tipple the Royal Family has enjoyed throughout history.  Here, for your enjoyment, are a few examples from the past, which we uncovered by searching the Internet, recent news stories and various books on wine and history:

• On Feb. 24, Prince William and Miss Middleton made their first public appearance to launch a new Royal National Lifeboat Institution boat, the Atlantic 85 Hereford Endeavour Lifeboat, on the Isle of Anglesey. Kate christened the boat with a bottle of Champagne Bollinger.
• Champagne Bollinger received a Royal Warrant from the Queen Victoria in 1884 and since then, the company has enjoyed a strong relationship with the British monarchy. Our guess is that there will likely be Bollinger Champagne at the wedding.
• GH Mumm et Cie, Laurent-Perrier, Louis Roederer, Moët & Chandon, Pol Roger and Veuve Clicquot also all possess Royal Warrants to supply the British monarchy with Champagne. Any one of these producers is a good guess as to who will be supplying the 2011 Royal Wedding.
•  A panel of tasting experts gathered three months before the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana to select the wines.
• At their fairytale wedding, Moët & Chandon 1961 Dom Pérignon was served. It was chosen for the wedding because of its notable vintage and because it was the year of Princess Diana’s birth. Twelve magnums of the brut were packaged for the wedding, with six bottles going to charity and six presented to the royal household.
• “For the great occasion R.D. 1973 was specially disgorged for the Buckingham Palace reception and supper party for Heads of State plus the great & good the evening before the wedding. 1,560 bottles of Bollinger R.D Tradition 1973 were served to 2,500 guests at this supper party,” said Anouk Westeel, Sales and Marketing Assistant at Champagne Bollinger.
• For his stag party at Whites Club, Price Charles and 20 of his friends enjoyed Bollinger 1975, which was his own selection.
• At Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding breakfast, the Krug 1969 Grande Cuvée was served. Interestingly, the Krug brothers were not aware that their wine had been selected. They found out when congratulatory notes began arriving in Reims.
• The Krug 1973 Grande Cuvée was served at the wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986. Once again, the Krug brothers did not know that their wine was being poured.

It remains to be seen what wines will be poured at the wedding festivities for Prince William and Catherine Middleton. We’ll be keeping on top of the story. But if you could choose a wine for the 2011 Royal Wedding, what would you choose? Let us know.

amcneely@wineaccess.ca

Photo: Alex Drennan

(25 entries, 20 medals)

With the first triumph of a bubbly from Nova Scotia, golds and silvers from three provinces, plus the largest number of entries and the highest medal ratio in the 10-year history of the CWA awards, sparkling wine is starting to hit its potential as a national signature, although it may take another decade for consumers and the rest of the world to recognize that fact. “The good ones are exceptional,” said judge Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson. Fellow judge Craig Pinhey, from New Brunswick, agreed. “That L’Acadie could pass for champagne — good champagne,” said Pinhey. Trius Brut from Niagara repeats as a gold medallist this year, at half the price of champagne.

Gold

L’Acadie Vineyards 2007 Prestige Brut, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia     $40

Hillebrand N/V Trius Brut, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario     $25

Silver

Konzelmann Estate N/V Méthode Cuvée Close Sparkling Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario     $16

Hillebrand N/V Trius Brut Rosé, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario     $30

Gray Monk 2007 Odyssey White Brut, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia     $27

Henry of Pelham N/V Cuvée Catharine Brut, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario     $30

Henry of Pelham N/V Cuvée, Catharine Rosé Brut, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario     $30

Angels Gate 2008 Archangel Chardonnay, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario     $20

Bronze

Starling Lane N/V Célébration Brut, Vancouver Island, British Columbia     $28

Peller Estates Niagara-on-the-Lake N/V Ice Cuvée Rosé, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario     $35

Road 13 2007 Sparkling Chenin Blanc, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia     $30

L’Acadie Vineyards 2008 Vintage Cuvée, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia     $26

Mike Weir 2007 Sparkling Brut, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario     $25

Flat Rock Cellars 2007 Riddled Sparkling, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario     $25

Flat Rock Cellars 2006 Sparkling, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario    $35

Sea Cider 2008 Pippins, Vancouver Island, British Columbia     $15

Angels Gate 2008 Archangel Pinot Noir Rosé, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario     $25

Summerhill Pyramid Winery 2008 Cipes Vintage Brut, East Kelowna, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia     $25

Domaine de Grand Pré N/V Ice Cuvée, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia     $35

Peller Estates Niagara-on-the-Lake N/V Ice Cuvée, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario     $32

Summerhill Pyramid Winery N/V Cipes Rosé Brut, Summerland, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia     $30

Sumac Ridge 2006 Steller’s Jay Brut, British Columbia     $27

Sumac Ridge N/V Sparkling Rosé, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia     $23

L’Acadie Vineyards 2008 Organic Cider, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia     $20

Domaine de Grand Pré N/V Champlain, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia     $30

See more results from the Wine Access 2010 Canadian Wine Awards

This category can sometimes be tricky for the judges. The price limit means true champagne will likely not make an appearance, but leaves the door open for almost every other region and style to rise up. From sweet Australian pink moscato to prosecco and cava, the world’s other great sparkling wines wowed with a range of styles. Spain, Italy and France dominated the category, but what really impressed the judges was a South African rosé. Judges’ Choice awards were given to four wines selling for around $15 or less, proving that quality sparkling wine can and should be enjoyed every day. (Tom Firth)

Category Champion 

89 Graham Beck N/V Brut Rosé Western Cape, South Africa

Judges' Choice

88 Segura Viudas N/V Brut Reserva, Cava, Penedés, Spain $13-$18

88 Zonin N/V Prosecco, Veneto, Italy $13-$18

87 Castello Del Poggio N/V Provincia di Pavia Moscato, Piedmont, Italy $9-$11

87 Montalto N/V Pinot Grigio Brut, Sicily, Italy $18-$21

87 Segura Viudas N/V Brut Rosé, Penedés, Cava, Spain $13-$17

87 Villa Teresa N/V Prosecco, Veneto, Italy $16-$19

87 Codorníu N/V Selección Raventós Brut, Cava, Penedés, Spain $18-$20

87 Domaine Achard-Vincent N/V Organica Sparkling, Saint Péray, Rhône Valley, France $23-$25

87 MGM N/V Luna Argenta, Piedmont, Italy $16-$21

More results from the Wine Access 2010 International Value Wine Awards