Wedding season is firmly upon us and to help guide you through the plethora of options when it comes to wine, we have put together ‘The Ultimate Wedding Wine Guide’ with tops tips on choosing the right wine for you, how much you will need and some great ideas for all budgets. As with all weddings, planning and preparation is key so get your wine sorted and that is one think less to thing about!
Drinks on arrival…
Many people like to serve something sparkling for their drinks reception. Choose something that you enjoy. Whether you want to serve Champagne or go for a sparkling alternative such as Prosecco or Cava, the choice is yours. Many opt for sparkling cocktails for their drinks receptions such as Bucks Fizz or Bellini’s, these are better served with sparkling wine rather than Champagne as they are a touch sweeter and mix better with the fruit juice.
Food for thought…
Whether you are choosing your food, then your wine or your wine then your food, the two go hand in hand and should work together. Take into consideration the main flavours of both the food and the wine and make sure the flavours complement each other. If you are having a lighter meal, chicken for example, pick a lighter red, that won’t drown out the delicate flavours. Going for a red meat such as beef? Opt for a medium to full bodied red (depending on your preferred taste) that will stand up to the richness meat. At the end of the day, pick something that you and your significant other enjoy, it could be the best pairing in the world however, if you aren’t keen on the wine you won’t enjoy it!
A crowd pleaser…
Another thing I would suggest is that you choose wine that is fairly middle of the road, not in terms of quality (that should always be great) but in terms of variety. Don’t go too off the wall, you may love Gewürztraminer, however it is quite a distinct grape variety that may not be suited to the majority of palates.
How much?
Half a bottle per head usually does the trick, especially as there will be drivers and non-drinkers however it really does depend on your budget or even how generous you’d like to be. Decide on your budget and stick to it, believe me it’s so easy to get carried away with it all and before you know it you are well over what you had planned.
To the happy couple…
Bubbles are a must when it comes to the toasts. You only need a glass per person which can be a full glass or 2/3s full, this will be enough. As discussed earlier, if your budget won’t stretch to serving Champagne, Sparkling wine is great alternative.
We all know weddings take a vast amount of planning and when it comes to choosing your wine, it should be no different. Don’t leave it until last minute. Plan in advance, speak to your local wine merchant for some help and advice. Get them to help you choose, try a selection of wines and if you have enough time, why not attend a local wine tasting. This is a great opportunity to try a selection of wines and discover what will work best for you and your wedding.
Top Serving Hints for Wedding Wines…
A few things to consider… If you are getting married in the summer, make sure your whites are well chilled, stick them in the fridge as early as possible to make sure they are cold enough, place in ice buckets/coolers on the tables to ensure they remain chilled once served. It might be worth chilling down your reds too, lighter reds are great served chilled especially on a hot summer’s day. For winter weddings, it is the red wine that you need to make sure is warm enough. There’s nothing worse than pouring a glass of freezing cold red wine. It is best to bring the wine to room temperature at least 24 hours before drinking, you can move it into the house, don’t leave it in the garage!
Think about all the other things that you may need when it comes to wine, glasses, ice buckets etc. Check whether your venue will provide these, if not, your local wine merchant may be able to help. At Bon Coeur, we offer free glass hire when you buy your wine with us, wine for larger orders is also available on sale or return.
This Ultimate Wedding Wine Guide can also be used to help you plan wine for events, dinners and other special occasions, please do give me a call in the office or email me amy@bcfw.co.uk and I would love to help you select your wines for your special event.
