How Do I Choose My Wine
Its important to think about the date of your wedding and the forecast. If its going to be hot and sunny, go for refreshing wines like rose and Sancerre rather than red. As we enter fall, heartier reds can join the menu. Its also important to think about your the food pairingis there meat on the menu? Fish? All of these things should impact how you choose your wine. Liquor providers, like Total Wine & More, for example, offer consultations for couples to help determine how much wine to buy and what kind, which they recommend scheduling three to five months in advance.
Katie and her husband knew which Chardonnay they wanted to have, but to choose the Cabernet, they invited Katies mom over to do a blind taste test of four brands paired with snacks. We talked about the notes and flavors and gave them ratings. We bought one bottle we thought we all would really like, and we ended up hating it compared to the other bottles, so Im really glad we did that, she says.
The Champagne Toast Wine
As important as the Champagne toast is, most folks wont drink more than a half-glass of sparkling wine. So unless your wedding attendees are all bonafide Champagne hounds, you dont have to buy that much. You just need enough to fill glasses to halfway about 1 bottle per 8-10 people. Use your leftover budget to afford higher quality wines!
- If the toast happens during the day or outside, consider getting aromatic sparklers such as Prosecco, Cava, or sparkling Rosé.
- If the toast is happening at night or inside, look towards richer styled sparkling wines such as Blanc de Noirs, Blanc de Blancs, Italian Metodo Classico, or classic French Champagne.
Most Popular White Wines For Weddings
White wines tend to offer a lighter, refreshing and more approachable drink choice. White wine types span from dry to sweet, with many options in between. Once you narrow down a specific variety of white wine, do some tasting of different brands, as the sweetness levels and even some of the aromas vary from one brand to the next.
Today, some of the popular white wines for weddings include:
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Some General Wine And Food Matching Ideas
Seafood, fish and vegetarian Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or a light, unoaked white, Gavi, Soave or a Spanish white.
Chicken, smoked fish or anything with a creamy sauce – Needs a wine with a bit more body and texture, but with plenty of acidity so Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc would be perfect.
Pork Can be fatty, so a wine with plenty of acidity, even a touch of apple. Reisling would be a good match.
Lamb You dont want anything too tannic or over powering with lamb. A Rhone red with a bit of black peppery spice would go well, so would a new world syrah/shiraz.
Beef You want a beefy wine to go with a nice beef dish. Bordeaux is the best bet or a new world Cabernet Sauvignon.
Anything Italian or with a rich tomato sauce This can be tricky as tomato doesnt do much for a wine, but stick to the old adage: ‘whats grown together goes together and you wont go far wrong. Italian wine, red or white is made to complement this type of food.
Are you ready to select your wedding wine & champagne?
How To Buy A Case Of Vintage Wine
One of my friends only buys full or half cases of a single vintagehe rarely buys individual bottles because having a complete, unopened case helps him prove its provenance, allowing him to resell his bottles for a higher price than the individual bottles would sell for. No matter what your plan for your case of wine is, here are some tips to help you get started:
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How Many Of Each Type Of Wine
Posted in Planning1
I’ve been stressing out trying to figure out how much of everything I should get. I’m expecting around 200 guests. I’m thinking for wine I’d like to have Moscato, chardonnay, rose, and cabernet sauvignon. We don’t have a ton of wine drinkers and the people who do drink wine don’t drink a ton of red. I’m thinking probably 9 cases of wine so that would be 108 bottles. Is that not enough? How many of each would you suggest? I’m also having beer and 3 signature cocktails.
on June 28, 2019 at 4:32 PM
Speak Up To Score A Steeper Discount
Yes, it’s okay to haggle. “Wineries and wine stores will often discount, or even heavily discount wine when purchased in bulk. Normally a single case can carry a discount of at least 20%, but if you’re buying wine for a wedding, you should be getting a more significant discount than that,” says Mark Aselstine, Founder of Uncorked Ventures. “My best advice: shop around. A local wine store can work with you to find something cheap and heavily discounted based on their relationships with distributors. As an example, I had a customer order a pallet of wine. He ended up paying $58 a case, instead of the $32 per bottle that was being advertised on the website. The discounts won’t always be that good, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.”
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Wines To Go With The Season
People tend to prefer certain types of wine over others, depending on the season. For example, if your wedding is outdoors and during the summer, white wines and even rosé will be a big hit. Conversely, red wine is ideal for cooler months.
Whether they occur outside or inside, summer weddings can be hot, and wines on the lighter side are generally more refreshing than reds. Rosés and whites both help make the heat a little more tolerable, ahem, especially after the first three glasses Depending on the weather during springtime, this can apply then as well.
For fall, winter and cool spring months, your guests are more likely to gravitate towards reds.Now heres the wrench in this rule its not a hard and fast rule. Some people love their white wine no matter what the season, and some are always going to opt for red. Thats just people being people.The key here is to use the season as a guide for the proportion of white vs red wines you buy.
Tip #: Research The Wines Value
Once youve determined that the case is authentic and in good condition, you should confirm that the retailer is asking a fair price for it. Mobile apps like the Vinfolio app and websites like Wine-Searcher provide the latest market information and can help you decide whether the case is priced accurately. Buying wine by the case wont always be cheaper than buying the bottles individually, and older cases of wine may be more valuable because the case is intact and the provenance of every bottle is the same. Youll want to be wary of cases being sold at a significantly higher price than theyre worth or for much less than the current market price. A 15 percent discount on a full case is reasonable, but a 40 percent discount is probably too good to be true.
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What Kind Of Alcohol Should You Buy
For beer, Katie says she wanted to keep it mostly to light drinkable beers like Corona and Modelo, and they offered one heavier beera local IPA. For wine, they opted for more white wine than red since the wedding was in May. Dawn, says in her experience, its common to go through white wine faster than red at a wedding. Buying libations are something Dawn says shes seeing more of these days with couples offering craft microbrews from their home states. Another trend: those White Claws again. Dawn says even at weddings that offer only wine and beer, she is seeing White Claw or another type of hard seltzer offered as an option.
Also, keep time of year in mind. At a spring or summer wedding, youll want to stock up on more white and rose wines, refreshing cocktails, and hard seltzers. For a fall or winter wedding, you may want to lean a bit more into red wines and heartier cocktails and spirits like scotch and bourbon.
Katie says they placed their order for the alcohol about three weeks in advance over the phone from a local liquor warehouse store and they got some discounts for buying in bulk. Dawn and Katie suggest talking to your local liquor store owner as they have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to how much to buy and what.
Tip #: Establish Provenance Early
Auction houses, wine shops, and online retailers that specialize in selling fine wine by the case should provide you with information about provenance, authenticity, and bottle condition. If youre buying wine by the case in order to sell it on the market later, then you should seek out cases that have an unbroken chain of ownership from the winery to the current owner. Gaps in the timeline dont necessarily mean that the wine is counterfeit or damaged, but when youre investing in six or 12 bottles at a time, you can never be too careful. Its a good idea to maintain higher provenance standards than when you buy bottles individually.
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The Benefits Of Buying Wine By The Case
Buying wine by the case can be profitable for collectors in part because retailers often offer discounts for bulk purchases. I once bought a full case of 2015 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages for less than $900. I would have paid nearly $100 more if I had purchased the 12 bottles individually.
The amount of money youll save buying wine by the case varies depending on which retailer you shop with and whether that retailer is offering any additional discounts or reduced shipping fees. For example, I like to buy cases of Champagne around the Christmas season because many retailers offer free shipping. Since this is a popular time of the year to drink Champagne, some retailers also reduce their prices in order to stay competitive. Im usually only able to get a ten or 15 percent discount on a case but even this small cost savings makes the process worthwhile. Even without a discount, a case of high-quality wine that has aged for a few years usually sells at auction for a much higher price than it originally sold for. Full cases of excellent wine with perfect provenance are highly sought-after.
A case of wine keeps everything in one spot and prevents you from opening any of the bottles prematurely.
While there are many advantages to buying wine by the case, there are a few downsides youll want to keep in mind as well. Below well talk about how to tell if buying by the case is the best idea for you.
Select Your Weddings Wine And Champagne
If youre ready to buy your own wine for your upcoming wedding, check out Marketview Liquor. We offer case discounts, including on mix-and-match varietals, plus free shipping on six or more bottles of wedding wine and champagne marked Eligible for Free Shipping.
Our wide selection of sparkling wine and champagne gives you the variety you want at a price you need no compromises.
At Marketview Liquor, we can also help you plan the wine and liquor for your wedding reception. Give us a call at or email us at to start planning the wine and champagne for your wedding!
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Why Choose Wine For A Wedding
There are a number of reasons wine is so popular at weddings. In fact, wine has been serving as a metaphor for marriage since the days of Adam and Eve in the Bible. As wine was believed to have been created by God, it is considered holy by many religions.
Did you know that wine was even used in ancient times to seal deals? Today wine can still be used this way its a sign of respect and friendship when offered during a toast making it the perfect wedding drink.
Wines For The Wedding Reception
The best wine for your wedding reception is one that will satisfy most people. Yes, its as simple as that.The meal is a large part of the reception, and you want your wines to complement the food. Some wine varieties tend to go better with certain meats than others. The traditional rule of thumb is whites with white meat and reds with red meat, but there are plenty of exceptions.
Ask your caterer for direction on dinner wines or visit the wine store and source out a sommelier that can help you out.
At the very least, youll want to have one red and one white regardless of the time of year. If possible, two of each is even better, especially if you offer up both dry and sweet varieties. If you want to include rosé, you can include it as a red or white, or let it be a category of its own.If you hit the nail on the head with your wine selection, you may just get Uncle Jim up on the dance floor to show off his break-dancing moves! Now THATs the sign of a wine selection gone right.
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Tips For Choosing Wine For Your Wedding
Before you make any final decisions about the wines youre going to offer at your wedding, there are a few things to consider such as the venue, the season, or the reception meal and toasts to name a few. It is important not to overlook these nuances. Of course, figuring out your budget ahead of time will help everything else fall into place.Here are some of the key items to take into account:
The Ultimate Wedding Wine And Champagne Guide
The final touch at every wedding is an elegant champagne toast. However, getting to that point is more complicated than you think. Wine and champagne decisions alone include considering what types to select, when to serve them, plus how many bottles to order without breaking the bank.
De-stress picking and ordering the best wines and champagnes for your wedding day with the insights and calculations below. Our guide to champagne and wine for a wedding explores all the necessary details to nail down this planning task so you can move onto other decisions. You know, like enjoying one of the happiest days of your life.
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Pair By Wedding Theme
Were all about finding ways to make your special day unique so we love the idea of centering your wine choices around the wedding theme. A beach-themed wedding with fresh fruit and seafood on the menu would pair well with a wine with tropical notes, often found in white wines like chardonnay or sauvignon blanc.
How To Buy Wine And Beer For Your Wedding
Figuring out what liquor to serve at your wedding doesn’t have to be stressful. Use this guide and you’ll have the party starting in no time!
I am officially a newlywed. Married. A WIFE. And it feels great!
We got married May 9th and I am still wondering where all this time went. The whole month was a blur a great, stressful, chaotic, beautiful blur. And now it is all over, and married life begins. I am so excited to start this new chapter. And, I have my brain back! .
If you are reading this post because you need to buy alcohol for your wedding, congratulations! Not only am I congratulating you for getting married, I am applauding you for choosing a wedding in which you can supply your own alcohol. This is one of the biggest expenses you can drastically cut for your big day–alcohol is a huge moneymaker for venues and caterers, often charging as much as 3x of the original cost of the liquor. Plus, I have been to weddings where the selections are pitiful–and still expensive! I don’t necessarily plan to be drunk at most weddings, but I certainly don’t expect to leave sober either because of poor selections and high prices.
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How Much Beer Should You Buy A Wedding
The most important question, How much beer should I buy for my wedding? Whether you have a smaller wedding of fewer than 100 guests or a bigger one with over 100, you dont want to run out of beer. So, heres the rule of thumb, when figuring out how much beer you need to buy for your wedding:
How to calculate alcohol for a wedding reception
Generally, youll want to calculate 1 drink per guest, per wedding reception hour. However, when it comes to beers and ciders its safe to estimate about 35% of the alcohol consumed will be beer, if youre only serving beer and wine. If youre serving cocktails along with beer, wine and ciders, this number will probably be closer to 20%.
This could be an overestimation or an underestimation depending on the demand for beer, however, in combination with other alcoholic beverages, this will hit the sweet spot and help you calculate which option is best for you: beer bottles or draft beer.
Consider your wedding venue, location and the time of year
These may seem like rather odd factors to consider when choosing beer, but these factors play into how much beer your guests will be likely to consume, thus the ratios you will need to purchase. If youre having a summer wedding and your reception is outdoors on a hot day in the middle of July, your guests are likely to lean towards a nice, cold beer.
What To Consider When Buying Beer For Your Wedding
Before you choose the beer for a wedding, keep the following in mind:
Make sure your venue has corkage! Many venues have a corkage fee at a cost per head or per bottle, be aware of the fees and restrictions before starting your beer shopping for your wedding.
Start your beer hunting early. Youll want to order your beer in bulk and in advance, to avoid any mishaps and to make sure all your desired beers are available in the quantities you require.
When its time to start choosing your beer, consider the following:
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