How to choose wine for a wedding – review of the 10 best brands, tips

A wedding is a very important and responsible event. All newlyweds want their celebration to be perfect and memorable. How the holiday will go largely depends on the mood of the guests. Therefore, along with the decoration of the celebration and the show program, special attention should be paid to the banquet. Good cuisine and properly selected drinks will help create a favorable and friendly atmosphere between relatives meeting each other for the first time.

Traditionally, the festive table includes strong and low-alcohol drinks. Champagne and wine are usually chosen as the latter. But how to choose a good wine for a wedding in order to stay within the budget and please your guests?

The wedding budget is usually strictly calculated, and the line with alcohol costs can change only slightly. The choice of alcohol depends on the policy of the newlyweds. Some people prefer to buy inexpensive wine, but in larger quantities. Others believe that it is better to take a quality drink at a premium price category, even at the expense of quantity. But it's better to stick to the golden mean. When choosing which wine to take to your wedding, it is worth remembering that even in the middle price category you can choose excellent natural drinks that will please your guests.

Review of the most popular wine brands

When the question arises of which wine to choose for a wedding, it is best to consider the most popular options for drinks purchased on special occasions.

A sparkling wine

Light snacks, fresh berries, a melodic playlist...welcome begins with smiles, lightness and, of course, sparkling. The well-known Prosecco (DOC Prosecco) is being replaced by a whole army of sparkling wines from other regions:

• French crémant (for example, Alsatian Crémant d'Alsace or Loire Crémant de Loire)
• Cava (DO Cava, Spain)
• Franciacorta and Trento (DOCG Franciacorta and DOC Trento - two sparkling pearls of Italy)
• sekt (Germany)
• all sorts of New World sparkling wines, led by Cap Classique wine from South Africa.
• for those who like something sweeter – Asti (DOCG Asti, Italy)
• and, of course, champagne (AOC Champagne, France). To recommend a specific champagne is to write a textbook. And yet, “not getting in” is more difficult than “getting in”: a large, respected house is always a good choice, and a small winemaker (they are now called “recoltans”) is an interesting experiment. You can start with champagne and continue with it, or you can divide it into welcome - sparkling, and for the ceremony itself - definitely Champagne! Of course, no one canceled prosecco, the most interesting ones are from a certain zone, marked “DOCG Conegliano Valdobbiadene”

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A wonderful option is sparkling cocktails, from classic bellini, rossini and kira to signature variations on the theme. Here you can take a simpler sparkling wine as a base, because you won’t feel terroir (a fundamental term in winemaking; it is believed that the values ​​and characteristics of wine come primarily from the place, climate, traditions of the region, “wine is born in the vineyard”).

How to make a calculation?

Wine calculation can be done using several methods. The first is when the preferences of the invitees are well known, their behavior can be easily predicted and the required number of bottles can be purchased.

But most often, newlyweds, when organizing a banquet, cannot accurately predict how all the guests will behave. Therefore, with the second method, average calculations occur. So, there should be at least 1 bottle per person.

Once you have decided on the number of guests and bottles, it is important to understand in what proportions the drinks should be present. 1/3 should be semi-sweet, 1/3 sweet and 1/3 dry. In addition, you should not forget that red wines should prevail over white ones, unless there are other preferences among the guests.

It is recommended to increase the resulting result by 10-20% to create a reserve.

The beauty and deceit of champagne

A wedding is unthinkable without this sparkling, spectacular, festive drink, and therefore the amount of champagne should be carefully thought out. It is this that insidiously ends at the most inopportune moment of the feast; it is the champagne that you have to feverishly buy in the restaurant at an incredible price. It is with champagne that the groom pays off his bridesmaids during the wedding ransom. They take him on a wedding walk, to the registry office, and a wedding banquet is opened for them. Often a bottle of sparkling wine serves as a super prize for winning fun wedding competitions.

Conclusion: you need a lot of champagne - at least a bottle per guest.

Champagne is the ladies’ favorite drink, so if there are many girls among the guests, pay close attention to the choice of champagne. Note: - choose champagne with a cork stopper, not a plastic one;

Note: - choose champagne with a cork stopper, not a plastic one;

- champagne quickly goes to the head and, in large quantities, can provoke a migraine;

- sparkling wines go well with seafood, caviar, cold appetizers - toast, tartlets, sandwiches - with fruits and cheeses;

- spectacular serving of champagne at a banquet - a pyramid of glasses or a fountain.

What to serve with?

If you plan to change wines (red to white, or sweet to dry), then you should know with what dishes and in what situations this is appropriate.

1. Follow the general advice: serve white with fish, and red with meat.
2. It is also worth leaving a few bottles of other types so that guests have a choice. Sometimes people prefer to drink certain wines regardless of food pairing.
3. Wines are appropriate to serve with hot and cold dishes, as well as snacks. They are rarely served with a white wedding cake, not wanting to distort the taste of the dessert.

From this video you will learn how to choose the right wine:

Buying the right type and quantity of alcohol for your wedding is one of the crucial steps that will leave a memory with your guests. If you make a mistake and something is missing, many will perceive this as the frivolity of the newlyweds’ intentions, unable to organize their holiday.

How to choose wine for a wedding: useful recommendations

If the celebration is celebrated in a narrow circle, then most likely the newlyweds know about the preferences of their loved ones. And in cases where an extended list of guests is planned, our recommendations will help you choose wine:

• It is best to put different types of wine on the table: red and white, semi-sweet, dry and semi-dry (not everyone can appreciate the taste of dry wine). And don’t forget about sparkling wine, which includes champagne. It should be at every wedding.
• Choose drinks according to the menu. Tart red wine goes well with meat dishes, while light white wine perfectly complements the taste of fish and poultry dishes.
• The age category of the guests must be taken into account. It has been noticed that most older people prefer semi-sweet wines. Young people are always ready to experiment and try new tastes. Girls often prefer light or sparkling wines.
• Consider the time of year. In late spring and summer, when the weather is good, light white wine goes well. In autumn and winter it is worth stocking up on rich red wine.

When choosing which wine to take to a banquet, newlyweds usually immediately determine the price category of the drink. Here it is worth discarding stereotypes and instead of famous French and Italian wines, pay attention to other producing countries. Among them are:

• Russian wines. Our country produces good drinks, and there are even producers who have become famous all over the world for their high-quality and pleasant-tasting wines. Among the variety of Russian products, you can pay attention to Crimean wines.
• Wine from Latin American countries. Countries of the so-called New World also produce excellent wine. And the cost of their product is significantly lower compared to renowned manufacturers from France.
• Abkhazian wines. This country is famous for its wine - they really know how to make it here. The price of drinks presented on our market may be slightly higher than planned, but you can always look for a product at a discount or on promotion.

Before you finally choose which wine to buy for your wedding, you can select a small list of candidates and buy a bottle of each type of drink to try. Usually, preparations for a wedding begin in advance, so the newlyweds will have enough time to taste the drinks and choose the best option.

Professional sommelier

Hiring the services of a sommelier today is a fairly common practice, because in the selection of wines, even for very large banquets, they can give valuable advice.

Varvara Peregudova, head of the wedding agency BM Weddings & Events

Having a professional sommelier select drinks for your wedding is very important, especially if you have already set the bar high for your celebration by choosing a restaurant with gourmet cuisine.

A professional sommelier will be able to recommend specific items in each category of drinks (wine, aperitif, spirits) that will best highlight your wedding menu. Also, the sommelier’s tasks will include creating a budget for the purchase of alcohol: a competent specialist will be able to advise worthy positions. Our agency has long been cooperating with several professional sommeliers and suppliers of alcoholic products. Among each category of drinks, we already have a number of win-win basic positions that we confidently recommend to our clients. When the situation requires it, we seek detailed advice from the sommelier and together develop a list of wines and alcoholic drinks for the banquet for a specific wedding menu. At the same time, we always ask the sommelier one more criterion - the client’s budget for purchasing alcohol.

We also attend various thematic lectures and presentations of new wines, learn to understand the compatibility of drinks ourselves, pick up professional terms... In our opinion, we need to have at least basic knowledge and “expertise” in every area that we encounter in our work.

Red

Red wines not only have an intense color, but also a rich aroma with a variety of notes.

We will look at what dishes are usually served with the main types of drink:

1. Light, tart, sweet and sour, served with grilled meat, dishes with garlic sauce and various appetizers.
2. Tart flavors are a great complement to turkey and fried chicken dishes.
3. Full-bodied with a sweet and sour taste, it is served with stewed meat and game.
4. Full-bodied with fruity notes, it goes perfectly with kebabs, grilled meats, cold meats and pates.

In the middle price range there is a large selection of domestic and imported wines. A very good choice is the products of Crimean winemakers.

The choice of wine should be made depending on the selected menu

Good alcohol will make the guests' mood a little better, but bad alcohol can ruin the holiday.

For a wedding, it is best to choose alcoholic drinks of average cost, approximately 250-300 rubles per bottle. On store shelves you can find many quality wines from domestic and foreign producers.

Certain types of wines can complement the taste of a particular dish or product. You should not serve the drink with food that it does not go with, this will spoil the taste. Wine etiquette will help you find the right combination of wines and food for your banquet.

Good wine and food pairings:

1. Sparkling wine (champagne)

It must be on the wedding table. It is customary to begin each festive feast with a shot of champagne. It is customary to pour it into wine glasses, which have a narrow and oblong shape with a long stem. Champagne is ideal for products that do not have a strong flavor.

Pairs well with champagne:

• Different types of cheeses.
• Poultry meat.
• Black and green olives.
• Fruits such as: pear, apple, grapes, peach, apricot and strawberry.
• Airy desserts. For example: fruit pudding or salad, not very sweet baked goods, ice cream, etc.
• Caviar (red and black).
• Seafood. For example: lobster, scallop or shrimp.
• Rolls and sushi.
• Dishes from Thai cuisine.

2. Wine (white)

A table drink made from white grapes has a pleasant aroma and mild taste. This alcohol perfectly complements the taste of dark meat. This drink, chilled to twelve degrees, is served as an aperitif. There are many types of this drink, each of which is suitable for certain products.

Types of white wine and their corresponding products:

• Fortified wine harmonizes with fruits and citrus fruits.
• “Young” wine goes well with fatty baked or fried fish.
• Herbal wine will perfectly complement dishes with the addition of tomato sauce.
• “Cream” goes perfectly with seafood.
• Rose wine is universal. It can be served with any food.

3. Wine (red)

Fortified drinks made from dark grape varieties have a bright taste and color. They are distinguished by a slight tartness and rich aroma. It is served cooled to 18 degrees. There are several main varieties of red wine. It can be tart, full-bodied, light sweet and sour, heavy warming, full-bodied tart sweet and sour. Several correct combinations of red wine with dishes:

• “Full-bodied” is served with fried or baked meat or fish.
• A “tart” wine goes well with grilled red meat or roasted turkey.
• “Light” wine perfectly complements the taste of Italian cuisine.
• “Heavy” is served with game and hot sauce.

How to calculate the required amount of alcoholic drinks

Before you calculate how much alcohol you will need for your wedding, you need to decide on the number of guests. On average, 30-50 people are invited to a wedding banquet, if we take into account only close relatives and friends. You also need to analyze the guests: if most of them are light drinkers or generally abstain from drinking alcohol, then the calculation of the amount of alcohol will be different.

When calculating, you should adhere to the following standards:

• Most men prefer strong drinks (vodka, whiskey, cognac). Calculated at approximately 0.5 liters of strong alcohol per man.
• Women usually prefer wine. In this case, the volume is calculated based on 1 liter of wine per woman.
• If the company consists of non-drinkers or light-drinking guests, then the proportions will decrease significantly. For strong alcohol, the norm is 0.2 liters per person, low-alcohol drinks - 0.3 liters per person.
• The resulting volume of strong alcoholic drinks and wine must be increased by 20 - 30%. It’s better to leave it in reserve so that during the banquet you don’t have to buy more wine in a restaurant or in nearby stores.