Wedding Wines

With everything else that has to be organised and bought for a wedding, wine is probably not at the top of the list. But a little forethought, early planning and purchasing can make life easier at the point when the bride and groom will be at their busiest.

There are three main considerations when choosing your wines – quality, quantity and budget. Not necessarily in that order.

Starting with the aperitif, sparkling wine is considered the norm and these days most likely to be Prosecco – a safe choice because of its extra dry style (which, confusingly, means it is sweeter than Brut Champagne) and because Prosecco is generally low in alcohol, around 11%, it makes it suitable for daytime drinking. The problem with Prosecco is that finding a decent one can be a minefield. There is an awful lot of sherberty nonsense on the market masquerading as wine. Make sure you use a wine supplier you trust or taste the venue’s offering before making your choice. Or go for Champagne. Supermarket own brands are, on the whole, reliably good and, if you prefer something a little fruitier, you could make it slightly sweeter and colourful by adding cassis. Warning: it also increases the alcohol so there’s the prospect of loosening the tongues of potential hecklers during the speeches or John Travolta imitators dominating the dancefloor. Orange juice or peach juice sweetens and refreshes more safely.

When choosing the white and red wines, and I think you do need to offer both, decide first on your budget, then on matching it with the food you have chosen and finally, think about how powerful the taste is. You don’t want a white with searing acidity or a red with mouthpuckering tannins even if these are precisely what you love. Select instead an all-round crowd-pleaser which still delivers on flavour and marries nicely with the food. A Bordeaux Blanc can tick those boxes and doesn’t have to be heavy on the pocket either – aromatic, fruity and fresh, I actually often refer to these as wedding wines for the very fact that they suit most palates. Personally, I would avoid Pinot Grigio because too often they taste of very little, and can sometimes taste horribly chemically. Reds are more varied but actually probably easier to choose. Riojas are generally a popular choice for good reason. They fit within a budget, they tend to be smooth with character and without being too heavy. Go for a least a crianza, which means it has had a little ageing and extra complxity. Argentinian Malbecs are also a good bet but these can be quite powerful so taste a few first – in the daytime without food with your palate at its freshest.

If your venue is supplying the wines, ask to taste a few. Or if you have something in mind which they don’t list ask if they can get it in for you. Wine merchants will be more than helpful and may offer a discount and a sale or return service – ask. Supermarkets may do, too. A booze cruise might be good for budget buying but you may not be able to taste beforehand and if your guests are more abstemious than you bargained for you could be drinking the same wines all year. n