What Wine to Have at My Wedding?

Question

I am getting married May 13th, 2010 and I have no idea how to pick a wine for the reception. I do live in Utah so not many people drink here so it will be an open bar. We are having little snack foods instead of a sit down meal. Some of the foods are: fruit and veggie platter, sweet and sour meatballs, hot wings with ranch, bacon wrapped scallops, and cheesecake and a dessert thats like the molten cake at chilis. I dont know that much about wine so I dont know what kind to have. We do not want Champagne since we dont like it at all. There will also be beer. We have real simple taste and so do our guests. If anyone can help me out with some ideas that would be great.

Oh and we prefer white wine but we want to have both available for our guests

Answer 1

Try a Viognier for you your white wine. It will pair very nicely with the bacon-wrapped scallops, sweet and sour meatballs, and even the hot wings. Trust me on this one! It is highly aromatic and smells like peaches. Sometimes it is very slightly sweet (but you can get it without residual sugar- just ask the guy at the wine shop you are buying from) and that will appeal to your guests who don't drink much wine, while your sophisticated choice and pairings will be appreciated by the wine drinkers at your function.



I'd recommend going with a Merlot for your red wine. It's a crowd pleaser and available at a wide variety of price points to fit your budget. A Zinfandel (not to be confused with pink-colored "white Zinfandel") will likely also appeal to your big wine drinkers as well as your other guests. Both of these wines are not so over the top that they will compete with the flavors of the foods you have selected.



Enjoy!

Answer 2

I live near Napa Valley and can give you a list of very good wines, but this is not the place to drink them. I love good wins, but weddings are the worst place to serve it. I suggest you save as much money on your wine, and get value at a low price. Pictures, flowers, weding dress and other things will take your money. I garentee a year from now no one will remember the wine. Also - You will be so excided and tired that you will not remember the wine. Here are a few ideas. (1) Find a place that will give you a discount. On a large purchas of a case or more you should get at least 10%. You may get more with a big purchase; therefore, you look around. After checking the prices at the big guys and see what they will do. Try going to a small spelizes wine store. Tell them your situation. They may be able to make a special purchase for you. I had a friend that owned one of these stores. As the money is up front, this is easy money for them. All they do is order the wine, and you pick it up. (2) You need a red and a white. People will break the food rules and order the wrong type of wine with food. (3) White: Chardonay is popular, but you will get more for your money with Savingnon blankc. It is a good nutral wine. (4) Remember to serve it cold. Some people have the idea that good wine should be served cold, but this is 100% wrong. Serve the wine cold will make it tast better than it is. (5) Red: Do not serve cabernay, or merlot as they cost too much. Piont Noir is a delecate hard to make wine and most low end is bad.. Some of the saraz for Australia are a good value, but you will need something else in your red wine selection. The other an inexpensize zinfandel from California. Zin have a lot of flavor.

Answer 3

Does the place not have 'house' wines? If so, just go with those. If not try some fruity wines like a late-harvest reisling or a verdehlo. For the reds you probably want something easy to drink - maybe a merlot? Why not go do some wine tasting and see what you and your fiance find most palatable? The reception place should offer you free taste testing of their wines.



Edit: Ok, since you can choose anything you like then go wild! I would suggest actually going to some nearby wineries if there are any around and doing some wine tasting. It would be a lovely day out for you and your fiance and you will be able to choose the exact wines that you want - and for a discounted price since they will be direct from the winery. If this is not an option then I can't really help because I don't know what brands of wine you have where you live... sorry!

Answer 4

With your menu, I would actually say you dont need any wine at all. The only two foods on your list that could potentially go with wine would be the meatballs and scallops. The other items will clash. I think you could stick with the beer and soft drinks.



If you really want to serve wine, I was going to suggest champagne since that will go with the fruits , the scallops and the desserts but you dont like champagne. Do your guests like it? Please consider it.



A very simple white wine could do the trick. Go with a cheap chardonnay and it will not be too complex. Cheap chardonnay are often one-note wines and I think that would work for you in this case. There are many brands that give you value for money, just go down to your liquor store and ask the manager. Brands like Robert Mondavi and Woodbridge are cheap and have very basic flavor profiles.



I do not think you need any red wine at all for this menu.

Answer 5

I would suggest going with a pinot grigio for your white wine. It is a pretty standard dry, light white and most people who drink white wines enjoy it. If you do go for a chardonnay I would suggest going for a lighter one without an oak after taste (as it might ruin your flavor profiles).



For your red I would suggest going with a cabernet or a merlot. Just get something that is in the middle of the road (not too dry or too sweet).



I would suggest buying few bottles of wine and just tasting them. That way you can develop a flavor for what you like and what you want to serve. I would steer away from anything that is too sweet because it can really be a turn off for some people. You also don't want the sweetness of the wine to overwhelm your food.

Answer 6

Is it going to be a limited bar? Otherwise, I see no reason to choose a wine. Just let your guests choose what to order if they want wine at all. If it's a limited bar and you're going to sell back what you don't use, I suggest just speaking to a sommelier. Many fine wine merchants have one on staff.

Answer 7

I can't drink wine make me feel sick ...