Choosing Wine for your Wedding

Choosing Wine for Your Wedding  wine regularly may limit their choices to what
Most people associate weddings with Champagne;they are familiar with. If you want to ensure that
it's the customary choice for wedding toasts. Butguests will have a wine they are familiar with,
wines are just as customary and should bethen your whites should be Chardonnay or
considered with care when planning your receptionSauvignon Blanc and your reds should be
menu. Even if your knowledge of wine is limited, itCabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.
can be easy to select the right wine for yourWant to try something a little different? Wine is
wedding reception.meant to be enjoyed and celebrated, why not try
Choosing the wine is an important detail, one thatsomething fun! Why not offer your guests a new
should not be overlooked. You sample the foodexperience? Have a wine tasting with your friends
and the cake, why would you not sample thebefore the event or go to a local wine bar and
wine? An experienced caterer will have manyenjoy some new varietals. In whites, consider a
wine options to share with you while you areRiesling, Muscadet, Pinot Gris or Semillion. In reds,
sampling their dinner and appetizer menu. Keep inbe sure to taste a Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Syrah or
mind; you are not limited to the selection providedRioja.
by your caterer. Sometimes, going on your ownChampagne and Sparkling Wine
with your wine purchase can save you money onWeddings are all about celebration, and so is
your overall reception bill (we'll discuss that morechampagne and sparkling wine. Be sure you have
later).  Whatever you choose, make sure thatenough on hand to have at least one reception
you sample the choices and pick the wine thattoast. Read more about selecting champagne for
you feel is going to be the best compliment toyour wedding toast on our Tips and Advice page.
your wedding.  How much do I buy and what will I spend?
Where to begin?You don't have to spend a fortune to serve
First, we must admit that it's impossible to giveterrific wines at your wedding. The wine world is
advice on selecting wine that will work forenjoying a boom in quality these days, so there
everyone. Which wines you choose for yourare plenty of first-rate, inexpensive ones to
wedding and how much you order depends onchoose from. Premium bottles can be as low as
many factors; here are a few things to consider$7, ranging to more than $30 a bottle.
when deciding on wine for your wedding:Wine will likely represent about 15 percent of your
Your Guests:overall reception budget. If you arrange for your
What kind of wine do you like? How about yourcaterer to provide the wine, it will typically be
friends and family? Do they prefer red, white,included as part of the bar bill. If you purchase
rosé, sparkling, or a dessert wine? Would yourfrom your caterer, expect to pay about twice
guests enjoy one or two really nice glasses ofretail on each bottle that's served. This is standard
wine to sip as they socialize? Or, is wine not thatfor both restaurants and caterers; the increase
important to your guests?covers service and helps with food costs.
Menu:Couples who decide to serve wine they've bought
What are you serving for dinner? The heavier andthemselves should anticipate a possible corkage
more flavorful the dish, the more full-bodied andfee from the caterer; this fee covers opening and
complex the wine can be. So if you are servingpouring. Still, buying your own wine can save you
beef in a hearty sauce, then by all means, bringmoney: A $20 bottle with a caterer's markup will
on the Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux. If youcost you $40, whereas your own $20 bottle with
are serving a delicate white fish, you should offera $15 corkage fee will cost $35. Also, most
a light bodied white - a Sauvignon Blanc would beretailers offer discounts for purchases of cases of
the perfect choice.wine and champagne.
White wine top picks: Don't overlook Sauvignon 
Blanc, a super-versatile white that goes splendidlyWill you buy wine from the caterer or pay a
with seafood, chicken, eggs, vegetables, andcorkage fee to bring in your own? This depends
salads.entirely on your budget and tastes. In some
Red wine top picks: Cabernet Sauvignon is thecases, caterers will offer a great selection of high
most popular red wine in America, built best forquality wines that might meet your needs
hearty meats.perfectly. In other cases, corkage fees can vary
Don't forget Rosé: Dry rosé is crisp andwildly, and if you can find a wine you like at a
fruity, without the sweetness of white zinfandelgood price (find a local wholesaler), it may be
and other blush wines, and pairs beautifully withworth it to purchase by the case and pay the
salads, poultry, pork, tuna, salmon, and even sirloin.fee.
Rosé is perfect in both warm and cool 
weather, day and night and is a favorite forTo determine the number of bottles to buy, a
weddingsgood rule of thumb is to allot anywhere from a
 half to three-quarters of a bottle per person,
Time of Year:assuming that most guests will drink two glasses
Is your reception scheduled for the middle ofwith dinner. Most bottles serve about 5 glasses of
summer or the dead of winter? The season couldwine. There is some debate of whether more
make a difference in what wine you decide towhite or red wine gets consumed at wedding.
serve your guests–are you trying to warmTake into consideration your menu and time of
them up or cool them off? If you are hosting anyear of your wedding when deciding the ratio of
outdoor reception and the weather is expected towhite to red. If the wines will also be served with
be warm, plan accordingly and serve a refreshing,cocktails, double that amount. Guests will likely
lighter wine like a Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc,enjoy a glass or two before sitting down to dine.
rather than a heavy Chardonnay. For red wineThe final touch
drinkers, you might offer a Grand Cru BeaujolaisYour wine choice can also provide an opportunity
or a Pinot Noir. You might even consider a dryto further personalize your wedding. For instance,
rosé. Other things to consider Are you a noviceyou might serve the wine that you had on your
to selecting wine? Here are some tried and truefirst date or the kind your parents drank on their
wine suggestions: Two wines that go very wellwedding day. Depending on where you'll be holding
with many different types of foods and that canyour reception, you could choose a wine from a
be served year-round are Sauvignon Blanc for alocal vineyard, or pick one from a favorite
white and, among reds, Pinot Noir. Both of thesevacation spot or your honeymoon destination.
are lighter in body and less fruity thanThere are many websites that offer you the
Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.option of designing custom design labels to display
They're also excellent when served as aperitifs.on your wedding wine bottles. These labels can be
Unless you know your guests will enjoy yourpersonalized with your name, photo, date and
creative selection of wines, stick with what peoplepersonal message to your guests. Your bottle of
know and love best -- a white such aswine or champagne becomes an elegant addition
Chardonnay or a Chardonnay-based wine and ato your wedding décor. You can give full sized
red such as Merlot. If you prefer to veer just awine bottles, or mini-bottle, as wedding favors for
little bit off the beaten path, try a light,your guests. You can also personalize your wine
food-friendly white such as Sauvignon Blanc and abottles to give as gifts to your bridal party, special
red Zinfandel. Which varietals do you want toguests and staff that participated in your special
serve? You may want to cater to guests'day. It's a great way to let them celebrate with
expectations. Many of your guests who drinkyou even beyond the reception.