Wedding wines – Where to start

Selecting wines for your big day is not easy, but WINE Magazine writer Jeanri-Tine Van Zyl offers a few pointers to help you on your way...

Websites dedicated to wedding solutions attribute lists of factors that need to be taken into consideration when wine is selected. Because, unless your invitations went to beer-only drinkers or teetotallers, wine is a big part of the big day.

 

After all, you spend a significant amount of time finding everything from the right spouse to the right venue, dress and menu, so rounding it off with a decent selection of wines is nothing less than appropriate.

Any etiquette boffin worth his or her French linen napkin will also advise that it is downright bad-mannered to serve sub-standard wine on such a special occasion.

It's daunting at best, so where do you start?

Be a crowd pleaser. This is the one time you should not try to be (too) unique or clever. Stick to good wines that will be enjoyed by everyone. Do not serve overly complex wines that will ultimately only impress your select group of fellow wine fundis - rather invite them for an exclusive tasting before or after the wedding. You are, however, allowed to have a more exclusive wine list for the main table that reflects your personal favourites.

Stick to the crowd-pleasers. Chardonnay, Chenin blanc, white blends and reds with well-integrated tannins is the way to go. Also, when selecting your reds, be sure they are ready to be enjoyed on the day, not five years past the day. It is also important to keep the "type" of wedding in mind - is it an afternoon or evening wedding? White wines are better suited to afternoon weddings, for example, whilst reds might be more readily consumed at weddings that take place after 17:00...

What's on the menu? Are you inviting serious culinary know-it-alls or will guests hardly notice when that Cabernet does not completely complement the pork? That said, do keep the menu in the back of your mind when selecting the wines - but do not over stretch yourself to find the perfect match.

The people's choice. You don't want to offer your guests too many choices... or too few. A basic selection of red or white should always be offered. Depending on your budget you might want to expand this offering to include a selection of four whites and four reds etc. Also ask sommeliers to offer tasting servings of the wines - this will prevent guests from ordering wines they might not enjoy that will ultimately be wasted.

How many bottles on the wall? How much wine you serve at the wedding depends on your budget. However, some people allow themselves to be guided by other principles - are you offering wine so that friends can party raucously through the night or do you merely want them to have a good time over a fine meal? If you are planning a conservative wedding go for half a bottle per person. However if you are planning a bigger, longer party go for more. In general however, four glasses per person is considered very generous. This means that on the whole you should budget for one bottle per person. This way everyone will have a good time, and no-one will regret it in the morning.

How many glasses? Work on six to eight glasses per bottle - but more if you are toasting the speeches, since you won't fill the glasses to the brim with your precious bubbly.

Also keep in mind... Some wine farms do not allow you to bring in your own wine, but will offer you a choice of their wine. Others will allow you to bring your own wine, but will charge you a corkage fee. And then there are farms that allow you to bring your own wine for free. Either way, be sure to find out exactly what you are dealing with.

It is therefore important to know what to go for in terms of budget, taste and availability.