Your wedding day is fast approaching and everything is (almost) ready: the venue, the flowers, the caterers… But there’s still one last box to check off your list: the wines! For many brides and grooms, choosing the right drinks can be as complex as drawing up a seating plan. From the cocktail hour to the wedding cake, via the main dish and cheese board, here is our guide to choosing the perfect wines for your wedding and transforming it into a truly unforgettable moment.
Before you start buying bottles of wine for your wedding, you should first:
1.Choose your wines in keeping with the venue and style of your wedding
The choice of wines for a wedding is an important decision that can be influenced by the venue. For example, if the wedding is taking place in a countryside setting, opt for light, refreshing wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir or rosé. On the other hand, if the ceremony is being held in a sophisticated, more refined locale, opt for fuller-bodied wines such as a Merlot, Syrah or Malbec. But whatever the venue, remember to choose wines that you enjoy and that will create a convivial atmosphere.
2. Define quantities
For the cocktail hour, 1 bottle of champagne for 3 people is recommended.
For the wedding meal, we then recommend:
Don’t forget to provide non-alcoholic refreshments such as fruit juices, flavored waters, soft drinks, and more. Why not opt for a pressed-juice or soda station? You could also consider a selection of non-alcoholic beers and ciders.
3. Define the menu
The key to successful wine pairing is to match the wines to the menu. First and foremost, you’ll need to decide with your caterer which dishes you are going to serve for the starter, main, cheese and wedding cake.
First step: choose a wine to go with a variety of light bites. From classic culinary delights like shrimp cocktails, stuffed mushrooms, or mini quiches through to an oyster bar or even a themed BBQ, the choice is yours. The most important thing is to choose a cool, light and refreshing wine that will whet your guests’ appetites. For the perfect complement to your cocktail hour, consider:
Brut or Blanc de Blancs Champagne: a sure bet that combines finesse, elegance and freshness and appeals to all palates.
Sparkling wine: if you have to compromise, replace the champagne with a delicate and sparkling wine from California or Australia. Italian Prosecco and Spanish Cava are also good options.
A light rosé wine with fruity aromas for a refreshing finish. For example, a wine from Northern Spain, Italy, or Washington is perfect for accompanying the hors d’oeuvres at a cocktail hour.
Craft beers for a relaxed atmosphere. To make your wedding unforgettable and to offer your guests a souvenir of the day, consider personalizing the labels on your beer bottles.
A convivial cocktail hour is not always synonymous with alcohol. From flavored waters through to lemonades, iced tea, smoothies, there are a plethora of non-alcoholic wines, beers, and cocktails to choose from. To quench your guests’ thirst, think of a pressed-juice and soda station too.
We do not recommend serving hard liquor as an aperitif.
To create the perfect wedding meal, selecting the right wines to accompany the dishes is an essential part of the equation. Once the menu has been decided, the key is to achieve a harmonious and balanced pairing. Here is what is recommended for each course.
Fish, seafood and shellfish starters
To kick off the festivities, opt for a dry, crisp white wine from Australia (Cullen), Portugal (Aneto) or Italty (Fruilano).
The main meat dish
If the meat has a strong flavor, such as game or duck breast, bring out these aromas with a punchy, full-bodied red wine such as wines of Napa Valley and Oregon. For more tender red meats such as lamb, serve a lighter red wine with berry notes, such as Zinfandel or a Bordeaux Blends from South Africa.
For white meat or poultry in a sauce, opt for an elegant, well-rounded white wine such as Côte-du-Rhône, Côte de Beaune, Anjou Blanc or Meursault. Finally, for alternatives to French grape varieties, why not opt for Italian wines such as Nero d’Avola or Chianti? Combining fruitiness with spice, these wines are the perfect accompaniment to meat dishes.
The main fish dish
The best way to bring out the delicate flavor of fish is to pair it with a dry white wine. For oily fish such as sea bass or salmon, or fish served with a butter sauce, we recommend a well-rounded, buttery white wine such as Pouilly Fuissé, Mercurey Blanc or Chassagne-Montrachet. For fish such as cod or sea bream, a dry white wine with a lovely crisp finish is ideal, like a Sauvignon (Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé or Menetou-salon). Another possibility is a Chardonnay such as Chablis, or a wine from Alsace or from California’s Napa and Sonoma valleys.
The cheese board
The pairing of cheese and red wine can often be perilous. The only exception being for strong cheeses like Camembert. In this case, choose a red wine with character, such as Saint-Émilion. For an aged Cheddar, opt for a Cabernet Sauvignon. Finally, to enhance the flavor of certain cheeses such as Condor and Pleasant Ridge, wine merchants often recommend a dry white wine from California.
The wedding cake
To end the meal on a high note – and finish as you began – opt for a sparkling wine. Serve a Brut or Blanc de Blancs champagne. It is festive, light and perfect for sweet delicacies. For variety, you can also serve a crémant or rosé champagne made from pinot noir grapes. And if you prefer a wine without bubbles, opt for a mellower, sweeter vintage such as Sauternes or Riesling Vendanges Tardive. Our advice: for a chocolate-based cake, champagne is not recommended. Opt instead for a sweet red wine such as a French Banyuls.
One last thing, weddings do not have to involve wines from the big estates. In fact, it’s perfectly possible to keep things simple and delicious by opting for a local wine and placing your trust in small-scale producers. And why not kill two birds with one stone by showcasing a certain region and introducing your guests to new flavors? While California’s Napa Valley and Sonoma still reign supreme as the top wine regions in the United States, American wines offer a world of flavor waiting to be explored from the bold Zinfandels of California to the emerging Merlots of Washington and the Malbecs of Paso Robles.
To make the best possible matches for your dishes, do not hesitate to call on the services of a sommelier or wine merchant, specifying your budget. To choose your favorite pairings, you can also organize a blind tasting at the caterer’s by bringing along a selection of bottles.
Want to prolong your wedding celebrations and enjoy your guests for just that little bit longer? Then why not continue the fun the following day with an enticing and wholly original brunch? To create an even more convivial feel, think about hiring a food truck. Serving salads, pizzas, burgers, bagels and even pasta and desserts, food trucks are perfect for tantalizing the taste buds of your friends and family, while bringing your loved ones together one last time.
And if you have leftover drinks from the night before, why not reuse them for your brunch, topping them up with a few strategically placed wine, beer or cocktail bars for a more laid-back vibe. And be sure not to forget an alcohol-free alternative, such as a fruit juice bar.
