Written by: Janice Williams | Pix
Photo by Ed Robertson via Unsplash. Collage by Pix
May 27, 2022
When the time came to toast the newlyweds, Julie Adrat knew exactly what to drink with her new husband.
They would finally open the bottle of Champagne Gosset collecting dust in their apartment.
“I tried Gosset with Dan a long time ago. When he tried it, he loved it just as much as I did. I remember him saying, ‘This is incredible.’ So I saved a bottle and told him we would drink it on our wedding day,” says Adrat, a senior account executive at Colangelo & Partners public relations agency in New York.
She adds, “It was the perfect way to kick off our reception.”
The rest of the wedding party clinked Prosecco to celebrate the couple’s nuptials. For that, Adrat and her husband had relied on the venue to help choose the wine for their guests. Luckily, the restaurant that hosted their wedding had plenty of wine to choose from
However, choosing the wine doesn’t have to be a challenge even if you aren’t working with a venue with an extensive wine list. There are a few things wedding planners can consider to ease the stress of party planning, and that starts with keeping things simple.
Approachability always win
“You don’t need to stock up on three different reds or three different whites. Pick one of each, and focus on versatility and choosing something that will be pleasant for different palates — something that guests will be happy with that won’t require much thought,” says Amanda Fraga, wine director of The Genuine Hospitality Group, who often works with couples tying the knot at Miami restaurant Amara at Paraiso.
Stick with the classics, says Steven Grubbs, the wine director of Ovide at Hotel Effie in Florida and Atlanta restaurants Empire State South and By George. Couples should choose wines they enjoy drinking together but emphasize wines that people are generally familiar with.
“A big thing I tell people is to figure out how to manage the difference between what you like to drink and what you know will be a broad appeal to everybody that’s there. There’s a healthy mix between the two,” says Grubbs.
According to Fraga and Grubbs, the safest bet for whites is a crisp and light Sauvignon Blanc and a rich Chardonnay. A more delicate style of Pinot Noir and a robust Cabernet Sauvignon will satisfy the guests who enjoy red wines.
“We wanted good wines that we would drink on any night or occasion and a selection that was also approachable for guests,” says Marisa Jetter, a public relations and marketing agent at Teuwen Communications in New York.
Jetter and her husband chose classic wines that everyone would enjoy, serving wines from Long Island — an area they frequented during their courtship and the place where they were wed.
“We had a Paumanok Chardonnay, Raphaël Sauvignon Blanc, and a cool red that a local winemaking family winery, Macari Vineyards, makes in collaboration with the venue. We saved an extra bottle of that one that we’ll open for our first-anniversary celebration,” Jetter says.
Pass the Prosecco
The days of Champagne only are over, with Italy’s Prosecco and Spain’s Cava now more likely to feature on the menu — not only are they good quality wines, but they won’t break the bank.
“There’s actually a ton of great Cava that’s not very expensive to keep people satisfied at a wedding. There are a lot of delicious Crémant wines from various parts of France that are not as expensive. What you choose really depends on your budget and whether you’re trying to get away with spending $12 a bottle versus $18,” says Grubbs.
How much wine?
For many wedding planners, the easiest part is choosing what to serve. The difficulty is guessing how much people will drink and ensuring that there’s enough wine on hand to keep everybody happy.
Here’s a simple trick to figure out how much wine to buy: take the number of guests and divide by 2.15, which is based on the number of glasses a guest may drink over two to three hours.
And don’t forget about the other drinks.
“If you’ve hired a terrific mixologist who is making a range of specialty cocktails or if you have a cool keg of craft beer, those things are going to be really popular with the crowd. You probably won’t need to pour a ton of wine if you’ve got stuff like that,” says Grubbs.
The most important thing to keep in mind, though, is to not get too caught up in trying to please everyone. After all, the wedding day is all about the people getting married. Most of the time, guests are just happy to witness the love no matter what they’re drinking, even if you’re toasting with the Champagne you brought from home while everyone else is drinking Prosecco.
Perfect wedding red wines:
Pacific Redwood Mendocino Organic Pinot Noir 2021 (~$16)
This delicate Pinot Noir hails from the Mendocino region of California, just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Russian River in Redwood Valley. Made with organically grown grapes, this Pinot Noir has subtle red fruit aromas while the palate is drenched in strawberry flavors. A twinge on mint mid-palate adds to the overall freshness.
