Choosing the Right Wines for Your Wedding

Choosing wine for your wedding can be a daunting task. You want to be sure you have enough, you don’t want to choose wine no one likes, and you don’t want to go over budget. Here are a few tips to make it as easy as possible.

Wine & Menu Pairing
One of the easiest routes to go is to speak to your caterer or whoever is making your food and ask them about the menu and wine pairings. This is a simple way to go as it guarantees great wine during a part of the wedding where most people will want a glass or be drinking a glass already.

Whether it’s a Chenin Blanc, Perrier Jouet, or a prosecco, find out what works best with your menu and go from there.

Serve What You Like
If you are really not sure about which wines to serve, you can never go wrong with opting for the wines you love. Never forget that this is your big day, and you shouldn’t get too bogged down in ensuring every single guest will have access to the exact wine they like.

Taste Test
If you aren’t a wine lover yourself, and you are unsure of how certain varieties taste, spend a day doing a couple of wine tastings at local vineyards, if there are any available. This will give you a great idea of what you do and don’t like, but there is also a potential secondary benefit.

You may find yourself in the situation where the vineyard is willing to do a bulk deal for you if you buy a certain number of cases and just serve their wine.

Variety
It is always important to have some variety when it comes to wine, as you don’t want to overspend on cases, but you only choose a rich red or a super dry white wine.

Whites
White wines are fairly easy to choose, as even the most casual wine drinker can enjoy a glass or two of a great white wine. Because of this, you can never go wrong with choosing a sweeter white wine, such as a Riesling, and a drier white wine, such as a Pinot Grigio or a Chardonnay.

Reds
Red wine can be a bit harder to choose, as it isn’t the typical choice for casual wine drinkers, and it can be very rich and sometimes difficult to drink. However, for reds, stick to the fan favorites such as a great Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Shiraz.

Champagne

Champagne is almost a must for a wedding. Whether it is served as guests arrive for the reception, served for toasts, or both, you should definitely have a few bottles on ice on your wedding day.

However, as it can get quite expensive depending on what’s available in your country, you may want an alternative. High-quality proseccos are not only delicious, but are often far more affordable than champagne and can do the same job just as well.

Think About the Season
Another consideration to make is the season your wedding is being held in. For instance, a Summer wedding on a hot day is not necessarily the best time to serve a room-temperature, rich and heavy glass of red wine.

On the other hand, a warming red is brilliant for a cold, Winter wedding. Simply put, think about what type of drink you would most likely opt for in that weather, and then choose wines that fit into that category.

Match the Theme
If you want to take it a step further, you can match the wine to your wedding theme. If you are having a beach or beachfront wedding, for example, choose white or red wines that use coastal grapes.

While this isn’t a necessary step, it will tie the theme of your wedding into your wine and add that extra touch that won’t go unnoticed.

Additional Tips
Now that you know a few of the most important tips, here are some additional ones that will make choosing the right wine even easier.

Budget
First off, unless you have an endless budget, knowing where to spend your money can be tough. The best way to go about this is to ask the wine supplier about any bulk discount deals, or buy wine through your venue, which will typically get a discount as well.

Secondly, spend your money where it matters; there is no need to get the best of the best white or red wine, but spending extra to get champagne, something you will most likely only toast with and therefore won’t need much of, is usually not a bad idea.

Quantity
When it comes to quantity, a simple rule of thumb is that a standard bottle of wine serves about five glasses. Using that formula, you can easily judge how many bottles you need for the number of guests who will be present.

Non-Alcoholic Options
Lastly, don’t forget about the guests who don’t drink alcohol at all. While there will be alternatives for wine, have a couple of bottles of non-alcoholic champagne or prosecco for toasting and other celebratory moments.