Planning a wedding can be hectic, but choosing your wine is a special process worth savoring. Here’s how to choose the perfect wine for your wedding.
One of the most fun aspects of planning your wedding is choosing the wine. For one night, you get to play the role of sommelier for your guests—unless, of course, you hire a real sommelier. Check out these top tips on how to choose the perfect wine for your wedding.
Visit a Local Vinyard
Patronizing local businesses near the location of your wedding is always a good idea if you can make it work. Similarly, you could opt to choose wine close to your hometown or the place where you got engaged. The best way to choose a wine is to attend a tasting.
Check Out a Wine Bar
Not every place across the country has a local vineyard, and to be frank, not all of them make good wine. Another way to do research for your wedding is to visit a wine bar. These establishments may or may not have local wines, but they will definitely be able to help you find something that pairs well with your dinner menu.
If you discover too many new favorites, consider having a sip-and-paint bachelorette party. These events are great for sharing your niche tastes with a group of close friends.
Consider Your Menu
Even if you’re not a wine expert, there are some rules you can follow that will ensure your wine selections coordinate with your menu. If you plan on serving fish, offer your guests at least one white option. If beef or pork is on the menu, you can get away with offering bolder, spicier reds like Zinfandel and Syrah. You may also want to include special wine for toasting and dessert.
Stick to the Lighter Side
When choosing the perfect wine for your wedding, it’s important to consider your guests. While you and your partner may love a bone-dry Chianti, not everyone else will. Try to choose something that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser rather than cater to your own particular tastes. You should like the wine you’re serving, but you want your guests to enjoy it as well.
Consider the Weather
Exact weather conditions can be hard to predict if you’re planning your wedding many months ahead of time. However, you should still be able to determine whether the weather will be cold, mild, or hot.
If the temperatures will be on the warm side, don’t serve your guests too many red options since those tend to make people feel even warmer. Likewise, people may not enjoy drinking chilled wine in the cold.
If you opt for an open bar at your wedding, be sure to have plenty of essential bar items like drinkware and napkins. You don’t want to run out on your big night!
