How to Choose The Perfect Wedding Wine
A version of this guide originally appeared on Firstleaf.
What makes a good wedding wine?
A good wedding wine pairs well with your reception meal and has the quality you’d want for such a special event while fitting within your budget.
How do you choose the perfect wedding wine?
The perfect wedding wine is something that can be enjoyed by novice wine drinkers and enthusiasts alike. At a large event like a wedding, the food flavors are typically a bit muted.
Every table will have a picky eater or two, or someone who can’t handle spice. Similarly, a wedding isn’t the time to experiment with oddball pairings or exceptionally strong wines.
A wedding wine will also pair with the main entree or entrees you are serving. If you are giving guests a choice of entree, you’d ideally give them a choice of wine as well.
What are some popular wedding wines?
Popular red wedding wines are cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, and rose. Popular white wedding wines are chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and pinot grigio. Popular sparkling wines for weddings are champagne, sparkling rose, and prosecco.
When choosing wine for your wedding reception, you should aim for a wine that is not too complex or bold, to ensure that all guests can enjoy it.
How much wine should you buy for a wedding?
The amount of wine you should buy for your wedding depends on several factors.
Number of guests attending (and also drinking)
Duration of the wedding/reception
Whether you are serving other alcoholic beverages
To start with, figure out how many alcoholic beverages you'll need overall. The basic rule of thumb for any celebration is 2 drinks per person for the first hour, and 1 drink per person for every hour thereafter.
So, if you were having a 4-hour reception for 100 adults, you could expect to serve 200 drinks in the first hour, and a further 100 drinks each in hours 2, 3, and 4: 500 drinks.
Of course, you may have reasons to adjust that estimate. If your reception is in the middle of the day rather than the evening, you can expect people to drink a little less. And if you know that a certain portion of the guest list doesn't drink at all, you can bring your estimate down (of course, you'll want to provide them with non-alcoholic options).
